Forced Along the Path of Discontent
by Nintendo Queen
Summary: Anzu is forced to become an assassin for the Northern Clan of Feudal Japan. But when she quits and is found by the Southern Clan and sold as a sex slave to the most powerful member, Seto, will she lose her mind or her heart? Azureshipping.
1. The Fall of One, the Rise of Another

**YAY! Another Azureshipping fanfic. This idea was inspired by the fanfic,**

"Of Love and Death"** by Jenivi7. It is a very good fanfic and I truly believe it deserves more reviews so after reading my fic I hope you'll drop J.7 a review. It can be found on my favorites.**

**Time for the disclaimer. Ahem.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or any of the characters from the show Yu-Gi-Oh. If I did, Anzu who not be friendship obsessed, there would be far more female characters, Jounouchi's deck would not be based off luck, Seto would beat Yugi by the end of the show, and I'd either hook Anzu with Yugi or Anzu with Seto, depending on what the fans want...oh yeah, Zigfried would not be a gay, pink haired freak.**

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_**Forced Upon the Path of Discontent**_

**Chapter one**

_The Fall of One, the Potential Rise of Another _

It was dead quiet. Nothing stirred in the air. Not a breeze, not even a leaf shifted. No animals moved in the forest. The world around was dead.

A farmer trudged thorough the woods tiredly, a bag of grain on his back. The next village was over a five mile walk from his humble little farm. He needed to make the journey every two weeks to barter for grain, seeds, and so on.

Today had been a particularly long one and he was anticipating getting back to his comfortable house where his wife and children were waiting for him.

He was nearing the end of the forest. Suddenly, a powerful smell of smoke hit his nose. His eyes widened.

There was a fire, a big one. And judging by the thick smell of the smoke, he guessed it was close to his home. The sack of grain fell to the ground with a weak _thud_ and the farmer took off running.

His wife. His son. His baby girl.

They wouldn't.

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_There were bodies on the stone floor. He stood there, panting, blood staining his clothes, his hands, and his face. The leader of the Norther Clan of Assassins sat in his chair, a cold, stern look on his face._

_"Now am I out?" he snapped to the leader. No answer._

_"Fine. But don't forget this. Nobody leaves our clan without suffering a great cost."_

_"I'll take my chances."_

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It's been so long. He had left to marry the love of his life. How could he have been so foolish? Thinking he was safe.

And now, when life was going great, they came to collect. To make him pay the ultimate cost.

Damn it.

And sure enough, there it was. Red flames engulfed his farm and his home.

"Kazumi! Ichiro! Anzu!" he cried, running to the burning house. There were no screams, only the sound of the crackling flames. He tried to get inside, but a fast moving blur pushed him back. He collapsed onto the dirt and looked up.

A figure dressed in black and red wearing a clay mask that was panted white with the distinct markings of the Northern Clan stood there.

"What have you done?" he asked, voice trembling. Two more members appeared. "My wife...my children..."

"Your wife burned and so did your son."

"My baby...Anzu..."

"She was spared. We will take her as the final cost of your payment and leave you to live with your grief. Consider your punishment complete, Juro."

"Why...how could you?" he whispered. "Manabu, Takeo, Fumio...we were friends. How could you do this to me?"

"Wrong. On your terms we may have been friends, but we three are true to the clan and will not hesitate to follow orders of Yoshinori. You made that deadly mistake, and now you must live with it for the rest of your life."

"Your careless mistake made your loved ones pay. Your wife, your son, they died tonight because you chose to act disloyal."

"Yes. And now your baby girl will carry on the noble cause."

"You should be honored we are sparing her."

"Please," he begged. "Don't take her."

"Sorry, direct orders from Yoshinori." Manabu moved some cloth away and revealed a sleeping baby girl with a little tuft of brown hair and pale skin. "Gaze upon her for a final time, Juro. Oh, and here's a gift for you." He threw something and Juro caught it.

He stared. A knife in a sheathe of snake skin.

"We won't take your life, but feel free to take your own to make the pain end." And with that, the three men were gone.

His hands were shaking. Tears flowed down his face.

Juro threw his head back and shouted to the sky, "KAZUMI! ICHIRO! ANZU!" He unsheathed the knife and put it to his neck.

After a few groans of pain, the knife fell to the ground. Rain fell heavily, as though heaven was crying. The fire was soon only a few sparks.

Juro gave a small smile, a trail of blood falls from the right hand corner of his mouth to his chin.

"I'm sorry...I will not be joining you in heaven...I am going down..." He fell forward, eyes going blank. "Straight down to Hell...forgive me..."

He laid there in a pool of blood and water. The rain continued to fall, putting out the remaining sparks of the fire.

In a tree nearby, Manabu, Takeo, and Fumio were perched on some branches, Manabu shielding the sleeping baby from the rain.

"What a shame..." Fumio murmured. "He was the greatest assassin in the last ten years." Takeo nodded.

"It is quite a loss."

"Do you hear yourself you fools? He was a weak man. He was so easily misguided by love and happiness, two emotions that are so easy to kill, quite literally I may add."

"True..."

"Remember this and remember this well: emotions are what make us weak. They are nothing but distractions that cause pain either way in the end. So I suggest that you look down at his corpse and never forget that THIS is where his so-called happiness led him. Now let's get out of here. If we don't report soon, Yoshinori will be furious."

"Right." The three men jumped away and into the shadows. Little did they know, they carried in their arms the future's greatest female assassin in all of feudal Japan.

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**Well? Dramatic, is it not? I hope you all like this fic because I personally believe it will come out well. Drop me some reviews, please. I want to know if you all want this to continue.**

**ALSO! I have not had this problem yet, but I like to guard against it. PLEASE, please, please, please, do NOT send me a review saying you hate Anzu, Seto, or Azureshipping. And also do not insult me for writing about it. Honestly, I'm all for free speech but it is just annoying to have people flame because they hate a pairing. There is no point at all for that.**

**Constructive criticism because a story needs some work I can understand. But downright flaming just because you don't like the characters a story features or the pairing a story features is completely unnecessary and very insulting.**

**I repeat, no problems with me yet. All of my reviewers have been great and I want to keep it up. But I am not just speaking for myself, I am speaking for all of my fellow Azureshippers out there. I get pretty upset when I read a perfectly fine fanfic starring Azureshipping and there's a flamer due to dislike of the pairing, Seto, or Anzu. So if ya don't like it, don't read it, don't review it. We don't need to know you hate it. **

**You CAN say "I don't really like Anzu that much" or something like that, I don't mind too much, but don't say something like "OMFG, I hate that stupid bitch, and your fanfic SUCKS." Yeah, don't do that. It makes me not want to write and that makes people who actually like my fic sad/mad. Ok, I think that's it.**


	2. Torn Between Duty and Desire

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**Chapter two**

_Torn Between Duty and Desire_

The wind whipped coldly through the barren wasteland of the forest. Snow was heavy on the ground, ice coated the world, all the trees were bare twigs. She ran along with the wind. Her footsteps were near invisible. She stepped so lightly and airily.

A beautiful woman whose face was covered by a familiar white mask bearing red marks. Her brunette hair was tied in a tight bun high on her head. Her thin, curved body in all black with a sheathe for her katana swinging freely at her hip.

She was freezing. But she had a mission today.

Her name was Anzu Mazaki. And if you simply saw her without the mask and katana, you would assume her to simply be a lovely 18-year-old woman. But she was the strongest, fastest, and deadliest of the Northern Clan Assassins.

Anzu usually spied instead of killed, preferring to use her skills as a last resort. She had never particularly enjoyed killing someone. It was a messy process and she hated the scent of blood. But it was part of her job.

The clan had taken her in as a baby when her family was pronounced dead. They were all she had. Yoshinori was almost like her father. He had raised her, taught her secrets only elite members were permitted to know.

She was like a queen. A goddess. Her skills were both admired and feared.

But she felt alone.

However, she at least had a purpose; to serve Yoshinori. But was this really all she was meant to do? To be?

A killer? A person greatly feared? A person without love in her life?

She jumped into a tree and shook off her thoughts. Her sharp blue eyes scanned the area skillfully. Speaking of killing, today she was needed to hunt down a spy.

A member of the southern clan had snuck into their base and had stolen a scroll. Anzu searched for him. He may have been silent, but he was slow in the cold. It was miraculous he had escaped.

The war between the two clans of assassins in Japan had lasted for the last twenty years. The Northern Clan controlled a little more than half of the country. Both were equally powerful with assassins of all skill levels.

Ninja, samurai, all resided within both clans. Villages were trapped in the middle. Everyone feared the deadly shadows of both sides. They were precise, cunning, and nearly impossible to dodge due to their speed and accuracy.

And everyone knew that if you got in the way of any side, they would not think twice to strike you down.

_"There he is..."_ Her lips curled into a smirk and she leapt to another tree, not a single sound escaping.

She'd been at this so long it was perfected. So young, appearing so innocent, and so powerful.

The Southern spy was trudging through knee deep slush. He was trying to hide from her, from them by taking a difficult way. Too bad it didn't work.

With an inward sigh, Anzu drew her blade and swooped down. The man looked up and the last thing he saw was her mask.

_Thump_

Anzu cleaned her blade on his clothes and sheathed her sword. She removed her mask and took the scroll from the corpse.

"Feh, what a pity. He made it too easy for me." She frowned and jumped back up into the trees. Within the hour she was back at the base. It was an elegant home that people believed a wealthy family resided. This was no longer true.

The last member of the Kachina family had died from pneumonia a few years ago. So Yoshinori had taken it and he lived there along with some of his most powerful minions. Anzu was one of them.

He sat in his usual room, eyes closed, mind gone. Or so it seemed.

"Did you bring my scroll, Anzu?" he asked.

"Yes sir, I did." She laid it in front of him. His eyes opened. Yoshinori was a average looking mad. His slick black hair was neatly trimmed. He was not fat, skinny, muscular, or boney. However, he had a scar over his left eye and nobody knew how he had received it. Some thought he was blind in that eye, but nobody knew for sure.

"You never fail me, Anzu." He picked up the scroll and smiled at her. She only bowed.

"I am here to serve you, sir. Anything less than perfect is unacceptable."

"You're right. Well, that is all for today. Feel free to return to your room and rest."

"Very well." She turned sharply and exited his room and closed the door behind her. How she hated to be in that room. It felt like there was no air in there. Like eyes were in the walls and were just waiting for her to make a mistake.

Yoshinori had the deadliest air around him. He was all she feared in this world. Even death could not compare to him. There was the concept of dying naturally or at the hands of an enemy, quickly, and the concept of being torturously killed under Yoshinori's instruction.

He was ruthless. She knew this.

That is why she could not bring herself to ever betray the man.

Anzu entered her bedroom. It was black and cream and pale pink. There were sakura trees painted on the walls. Her bed was cream colored. The furniture was black with sakura blooms painted on it.

She went to her wardrobe and took out a kimono. It was dark green with light green leaves and yellow butterflies embroidering the fine silk. With the help of a servant, she put it on and did her hair in a lower bun with a butterfly barrette.

The village was a short walk away through a small patch of forest.

It was the only place she felt comfortable. The one place she felt like nobody was stalking her, waiting to kill her. She smiled politely at the greetings of some of the men and women.

She knew a few faces here. Nobody here knew her, though. She had the alias Hoshiko and only appeared to visit once in a while from another town.

"Hoshiko-san!" a voice called. She turned to see a young girl smiling up at her.

"Hello Akiko-chan."

"What brings you to the village today?" she asked.

"I just wanted to go for a walk and decided to come and visit everyone."

"Want to come to my house for some lunch?"

"Er...well I-"

"Great!" She took Anzu's hand and led her through the crowd. They came to a small house and a woman was outside, feeding three brown hens. "Hi Mama."

"Hello Akiko. Oh, and hello to you too, Hoshiko." Anzu smiled politely at her.

"Good day Chiasa-san."

"Would you care to join us for lunch? I prepared some excellent stew."

"Oh, I couldn't impo-"

"Hoshiko-san would love to, right?" Akiko asked, looking up at Anzu with her innocent eyes. She sighed in defeat.

"Yes. Thank you." Chiasa smiled warmly and led them inside the cozy house. They were a family of four and did not have much money, but they made do with what little they had. And, for some reason, this tiny house felt more like a home than her huge palace, which always felt cold, even in the summer.

They sat down at the table. Akiko's father and grandmother were already there, both waiting patiently. Chiasa served the stew, Akiko poured the tea.

"What a lovely meal you have prepared for us, Chiasa." She smiled warmly and kissed her husband.

"Thank you, Shoji."Anzu held back a sigh and sipped her tea. What she would give to get married to a man she loved and have a family like this.

"Hoshiko-san?" Anzu snapped out of her thoughts and looked into Akiko's innocent brown eyes. "Are you ok?"

"Oh, yes. Forgive me, I was just thinking about...things."

"Alright." She smiled and Anzu smiled back. Soon enough, lunch was completed. Anzu thanked them and walked out into the village. It was about time she return to her home, if she could even call it that.

Should she stay out too long, Yoshinori would be very angry with her and she would face punishment.

She walked out into the forest and picked her way daintily through the snow. Not much farther now. Suddenly, a gently rustling sound hit her ears. Her steps halted and she listened carefully.

Nothing. It was unlikely to have been a woodland creature. Was somebody following her? She could not return to the base with a stalker. So, instead of turning into the proper path, she continued to wander straight.

Another village was along this path. She could lose her follower there and return home within the hour. She paid close attention to the sounds of the forest. Her footsteps were silent, as was the rest of her. Even her heartbeat was quiet.

After going through the village, she put on a new disguise that was easier to move in and walked back into the forest, a bag slung over her shoulders, containing her kimono. The rusting came again. Anzu stopped and focused her eyes sharply on the scenery.

"Whoever you are, come out now. I don't want to hurt you." No response. "Fine, but if you know what's good for you, stop following me."

She continued on her way and heard the familiar rustling again. She picked up a rock and threw it in the direction of the sound. A person dressed all in black, wearing a clay mask, fell from the tree.

Her eyes widened. He was from the Southern Clan. She could see a pair of pierced blue eyes in the holes of his mask. For some reason, they seemed to freeze her, pin her.

But that was only for a minute, because the man ran off into the shadows. She took off running toward home and she fled to her bedroom, panting.

"Not another spy...I hope he didn't follow me here..."

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The man walked into one of the hidden bases of the Southern Clan. He ripped off his mask and revealed himself as a handsome young man, maybe three or four years older than Anzu. He was a brunette with piercing, cobalt blue eyes and strong features.

His name? Seto Kaiba. The most powerful and wealthy assassin in the Southern Clan.

"Welcome back, Mr. Kaiba." He did not answer to the greeting with a casual thanks like he usually offered.

All he said was, "I'll be retiring to my room a little bit early today. Please do not disturb me."

"Yes sir."

Seto laid on his bed and was thinking about the girl he saw today. She was beautiful. More beautiful than any of the girls he had been offered before.

He had purchased maids and slaves. Many attractive women whom most men would kill to have with them in bed. But he was picky.

Sure, he's been naughty with one or two women before, but that was it. Most of the men in his clan half his rank fooled around as often as they drew breath.

That girl he saw...too bad he couldn't buy her. He knew she was of the Northern Clan. So she had fire in her spirit.

Yes, what a shame and what a waste of a peach like her. He pushed the thoughts out of his mind and drifted into a light slumber.

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**HUZZAH! Seto appeared in this chapter. All hail me.** **Please review, I'd love ten reviews. Ten would just be lovely. Ciao. **


	3. The Truth

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**Chapter Three**

_The Truth_

Anzu sat on her bed, a bored expression on her face. She could not think of anything to do. How dull.

No missions. No spying. Nothing. And because one of the Southern Clan had been stalking her, she chose not return to the village. So there goes that idea.

Now it was downright frustrating. Anzu stood up and exited the room. Maybe she could simply explore more of her so-called home. She'd hardly seen any of it.

It was almost always dark. Very few candles were lit in the long corridors. She had to grope around at the wall in some areas.

This place was enormous! Big enough to house the entire village and more. She bit her lip, growing more and more nervous. It was still dark in this one particularly long hallway. Finally, she felt something.

A door handle! Maybe there was some light in that room. She turned it and went inside then bit back a scream.

A dark form was hunched over a desk. They seemed to be looking for something. Who was it? A member of her clan? No! Why would they be looking for something in the dark? She could see candles and matches faintly a little while away.

This figure was an intruder. She stiffened and desperately reached for something, _anything_ that could pass for a weapon. She got...a...rod...well, it would have to do. She crept up, thanking the lord above for her stealth...he sneakiness...her years of training.

And, with a sharp hit to the back of the head, whoever it was fell with a light _thud_ and was out cold.

Anzu turned back and lit a candle, her eyes rejoicing at the familiarity of light. Then, she turned around to see who she had knocked out. They were from the Southern Clan, judging by the markings on the mask.

But when she removed the mask...it was a puppet. She heard movement and spun to see another shadow running.

_And they had a scroll in their hand!_

She immediately ran after them.

The scrolls hidden here contained the identities of every assassin in the Northern Clan. Many had tried to steal the scrolls to uncover weak points, blackmail, and so on.

Other scrolls actually were ownership documents. Certain assassins were, technically, owned by the Northern Clan. Should they leave, they had nothing. Not even one yen to their name.

Only new ninja who had volunteered to join and were of little value were not owned by the Clan.

Many assassin had their scrolls stolen, from both sides, and had no other choice but to join the opposite clan, or face death for refusal.

It was a never-ending cycle of chaos. But nothing could be done. The scrolls were a seal and held you in place. They were so well hidden it would take a genus to by-past the security and traps to get their hands on one. Just one.

And the higher you were ranked, the harder it is to find your scrolls.

Anzu had, unknowingly, entered the room where _her _scroll was. But not the ownership one or even one about her fighting or anything.

No. Something different. Something shocking. Something...terrible.

"Hold it right there!" She tackled whoever was trying to escape and started punching at them. Soon, they could not move. She got up and yanked the scroll out of their hand. The person who had broken in was a fairly young man.

He was paralyzed for the next three hours thanks to the way she had hit his pressure points.

"Now, better put this away. You wait here." She walked back to the room and started to return the scroll when she saw another one that was sealed with a ribbon and had her name on it.

"_Go on, take it and read it. Who's gonna know?"_ a little voice in her mind asked.

But...if she was caught, she could be executed.

However, she found herself reaching in, untying the silk ribbon, and unrolling it.

What could this say? She knew that she was really high ranked and her scrolls would not be so easy to find. But, this was different.

At first, it made no sense to her. Then...her eyes widened as she read.

_June 8__th_

_The execution of Kazumi Mazaki and Ichiro Mazaki. Suicide of Juro Mazaki is planned. And the payment of Anzu Mazaki is expected._

_Do not fail me, Manabu, Takeo, and Fumio. I want that traitor to pay for leaving the plan._

_-Yoshinori_

It...it was a memo. June eighth.

Yoshinori had told her she was an orphan! That they had found her out in the cold and took her in because her parents had abandoned her.

But he had KILLED them!

Anzu felt rage bubbling inside of her. Her grip on the scroll tightened and she almost ripped it to shreds. But she was able to control herself.

She stormed into the hall to the ninja she had paralyzed. Without a word, she dragged him outside by the arm and threw him into a pile of snow, not caring what became of him.He might be discovered and killed or might escape. Who cares?

Turning sharply on her heel, Anzu stormed back inside. Time for a little talk with Yoshinori.

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**Ooh, dramatic! Cliffhanger! I hope you liked it. I tried to make it as long as possible. I just feel like going nuts with updates today. First "Why Do You Care?" and now this. Well, review please.**


	4. How Could They Be So Ruthless?

**Waah! I'm sad, hardly anyone reviewed, why's that? Please review more in this chapter. I kept getting alerts that people favorited my fic but hardly any reviews. So please review.**

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**Chapter Four**

_How Could They Be So Ruthless?_

"YOSHINORI!" Anzu yelled. Two ninja stood outside the doors to his room.

"Mazaki-san, quiet! Yoshinori-sama is r-" She pushed both ninjas out of her path with ease and threw the doors open.

"M-Mazaki-san!" one ninja said, in hopes of stopping her an dfailing. She stormed across the room and saw Yoshinori sitting in a chair, reading a book. He looked up at her.

"Yes, Anzu?" he asked.

"Don't you dare call me that!" she snarled. He stared in surprise.

"Care to explain your cheeky attitude?"

"Cheeky sounds too sweet, you cad!"

"What's this about?" he demanded, voice growing lower and more dangerous.

"You lied to me!"

"About what?" he snapped. "Get to the point, girl."

"About...my...parents..." she hissed as if the words were venom and burned her lips to say them. She was so angry. If looks could kill, Yoshinori would have died five times over. Nothing but hatred existed in her mind at the moment.

"Oh, them." He seemed to relax and sat back. "Care to hear the story?"

"Enlighten me..." she murmured darkly. He chuckled.

"Calm down, and throw aside any weapons you have."

"Why?"

"Do you want to hear the story?" anzu growled and threw her kunai aside. "That's all you have?" Yoshinori asked, raising an eyebrow.

"That's all I need."

"Very well."

"now tell me before I get impatient with you." Yoshinori sat back and look at her, his eyes clam, lips twitching into a small smirk. Anzu bowed her head ever so slightly in defense, always hating the way he eyed her. Her blue eyes flashed with nothing but anger and impatience.

Yoshinori knew it would be unwise not to answer her as she requested. So, he began softly and slowly.

"It was many years ago. Yoru father joined this clan when he was a young man. He was much like oyu. Strong, fast, incredible skill. The best of them all at the time, he belonged here and was one of my top ninja."

"And?" Anzu asked dangerously.

"Well, he saw this girl in a nearby village while he was on a mission and fell in love, so to speak."

"My mother?"

"Yes. But clan members cannot engage in any form of intimate relationships with anyone outside the organization, it just does not work. So, he left."

"Just like that?"

"Left and married off to that woman."

"You sound bitter."

"Because I lost my finest ninja for the time being! But we never let anyone off so easy." Anzu narrowed her eyes. Animosity radiated from her.

"Care to elaborate, Yoshinori?" she asked. He ran a hand roughly through his black hair.

"Ah, where to begin? I sent spies to follow your father and mother over the years, jus tto watch. They brought back reports. Where they lived, their jobs, their everyday lives."

"You stalked them?!" Anzu shrieked.

"The clan stalks its prey much like a mountain lion stalks a goat for its lunch. There is no difference."

"Why didn't you let him be?" Anzu cried, tears forming in her eyes.

"Nobody leaves the clan without punisment, Anzu."

"Then why do we even choose to join?" A nasty smirk formed on his face.

"Most of you don't. We don't give you an option. The few who actually can choose are on the brink of death or extreme poverty. We provide for you so long as you provide for us. It's a win-win situation, should you choose to actually obey orders and train, otherwise you'll simply be skewered."

"You are just sick!"

"Care to hear the rest of the story?"

"I may as well..." she mumbled.

"It's been a few years. I get a new report. Your father has had some children. You were a newborn. It was now I chose to punish him."

"You killed him?!"

"Not him. His wife and his other child. And we took you, a new baby who knew nothing of this, as our payment. We burned his home, everything. He had nothing."

"How could you be so cruel? So ruthless?"

"Open your eyes, you stupid girl. What is this clan? Nothing but a fluke to dominate for power. Everyone fears us, except that blasted Southern Clan. We are trying to rule with an iron fist and nothing more. Can you get there by being sweet and nice? NO! you must be like stone. Hard, cold, ruthless. Will a boulder think twice before crushing you as it rolls downhill?"

"No, but-"

"If you take a pebble from a ledge of rocks and finally cause it to break, will the the rocks move over so they don't crush you? No! We do not know the word mercy, Anzu. Learn that, in this bloody world, there is no mercy, there is no kindness. It is all a facade and it all dies in time." Anzu stepped back and narrowed her eyes.

"You want to know something, Yoshinori?" she whispered, feeling her knees trembling.

"What?" he sighed, monotone.

"...I guess the saying is true: like father, like daughter." His eyes averted up sharply and he banged his hands on his desk.

"Care to repeat that, you little brat?" he snarled. It took all of her nerve to keep standing and look him right in the eye.

"I'm leaving the clan."

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**Dun...dun...DUN!!! Oh MAN, it is getting to the good part. **

**animosity - a strong feeling of hostility,; hatred. **

**I used the word in an essay and thought it'd be a cool word in the chapter instead of going "hatred blah blah blah hatred blah blah blah" or something like that.**

**Okies, that is all. Remember, review.**


	5. Nowhere Else to Turn

**Yes! I got ten reviews for my last chapter so I'm happy and I'm back for an update. Thanks for reviewing. Now, to answer a question in reviews.**

**Someone asked if Anzu was supposed to die because she said "like father, like daughter." **

**The answer is, no. She is not supposed to die. I know she is leaving the clan, but I swear she is not gonna die...at least, I don't think so. I don't know how I'm ending this story yet.**

**Well, now onward!

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**Chapter Five**

_Nowhere Else to Turn..._

Yoshinori laughed darkly. "You can't be serious."

"I've never been so serious in all my life."

"You're a fool if you try this." His eyes were hard and cold, like stones. "Nobody escapes the clan and lives to brag about it for long. Just look at what happened to your father."

"I AM ONLY A FOOL IF I STAY HERE!" she screamed, face flushing with rage. "You are a bloody bastard, Yoshinori! You control us like puppets and for what? To kill? Fight an enemy that should not even exist? I am sick of being a pawn in your little game."

"HA, you should be grateful, you little brat! I could have simply killed you along with your mother and oyur brother." Tears ran down her face and her voice shook violently.

"That's better than being imprisoned by you and killing for your sake, Yoshinori." She glared. "I spent so many years serving you, wasting my life. So now, I'm finally breaking free from you, from the clan, AND FROM THIS LIFE! But I swear, you can kill me but I will bring you with me!"

"Insolent whelp!" She was at her side before she could blink and he smacked her. She fell to the floor and her face stung. "Perhaps you need some sense beaten into you." He snapped. Ninja came into the room and two picked up Anzu by her upper arms.

"Yes, master?" they asked.

"Take Miss Mazaki outside and beat her. I don't care how long you do it. But I want her to suffer and learn the error of her actions."

"Yessir." They dragged her out. Nobody noticed her smirk.

_"Typical, careless Yoshinori..."_

They threw her into a pile of snow and pulled out some whips. The cracks almost burned as they lashed agaisnt her delicate skin. She bit her lip and tongue til they bled to keep from yelling in pain. It was only wounds, they'd heal.

The leather smacked her sides and left welts and eventually cut through the silk fabric of her robe. She felt black and blue bruises forming on her thighs, lower back, and hips. Cuts and welts were all along her arms and neck. She was able to protect her face from the punishing blows.

Fianlly, she was left in the snow, quivering and some of her cuts opening and bleeding.

"That's enough."

"Should we drag her back in?"

"Naw, leave her here. No way she'll leave."

"You're right, not after that." Anzu coughed and the ninja left. She smirked and reached into her robes. She had all of her scrolls. Grinning malevolentely, she tore them to shred and let the wind carry them away.

However, the wounds were pretty bad and it hurt to stand. She coughed and shivered. It'd be hard, but she was going to have ot force herself to run, and fast. She was barely able to maintain her usual speed, but she did.

Where she was running, God knew. All Anzu knew was she had to go far, far away from that place and stay away.

Hours flew by and she was making slow progress and freezing like crazy. The temperature had dropped a good twenty degrees if not more and her limbs felt numb. Her robes had rips in them from the lashing of the whip and were failing to keep her heat.

She knew if she could not find shelter, she was going to die. More time passed and she finally was too dizzy and tired from the cold and blood loss.

Anzu collapsed into a pile of snow.

_"so...this is the end?" _she thought. _"At least I was free...free of Yoshinori when I died..."_ A dark shadow moved along the slush and she weakly looked up to see a man dressed from head to toe in black wearing a Southern Clan mask.

"Who are you?" he asked. She couldn't answer, her head dropped and she finally blacked out.

* * *

Anzu opened her eyes and sat up. She was lying on a bed and sheets were wrapped around her. She noticed that she was wearing a new, warmer rode that was the color of rose petails and her wounds were bandaged. She frowned.

"How helped me?" she wondered aloud. Suddenly, a person walked into the room, the same person wearing the Southern Clan mask from before she passed out.

"Good, you're awake." He ripped off his mask and was a man in his thirties with black hair and violet eyes.

"Where am I?" she asked, immediately getting defensive.

"Relax, you're at my inn. You've been passed out for five days."

"Five days?!"

"Yes. You're from the Northern Clan, right?" she blinked.

"H-how did you-?"

"Your robes. Good thing I found oyu. I take it you did something wrong?"

"Try to leave the clan..." she mumbled.

"That Clan consists of a bunch of bastards. Why do you think we continue to fight them?" he snapped. "By the way, I'm Shinji. You are?"

"Anzu."

"nice to meet you Anzu." Shinji's face suddenly grew very serious. "But I'm afraid there's a problem."

"What would that be?"

"Well, you can't stay here. Some other members came and saw you. They knew you were from the other clan and said you had to be killed."

"So why am I alive?"

"I told them that you must have run away or something of that sort and asked for another option. i'm afraid you have to be sold."

"...sold?"

"Yes."

"Sold as WHAT?" she demanded, suspicion in every inch. Shinji sighed.

"Our Clan has rich and powerful women and we often seek and find beautiful young women. Tell me, are you a virgin?"

"WHAT?" He blushed awkwardly.

"Are you a virigin?"

"YES! and if you try anything I'll break your hand!"

"No no, it's not like that! you see, they seek innocent maidens of great beauty and sell them as...sex slaves to-"

"A SEX SLAVE!?!" she screeched. Shinji held up his hands and shushed her.

"Please, calm down."

"I WON'T stoop to such a low level! I'd rather die!!" she snarled.

"Anzu, stop and think about this."

"Why would I sell myself to some perverted old man?"

"You don't understand. One you are sold, you only stay for as long as your contract states and you are freed in the end and paid a large sum of money! You can go out and live a real life, free of a clan, free of anything!" Anzu stopped and considered this.

"My own life?" she whispered. It was all she had ever wanted. She'd be free... But... "How cn I put my pride up? My body is not for sale!"

"Sometimes you can avoid sleeping with them, it all depends. DSometimes they decide to make you a maid, but your contract still remains the same." Anzu frowned. "If they believe you're a hellcat, they won't put up with you in bed."

"and the contract will still stand? I'll get the money?" she asked. He nodded. Anzu sighed. "Fine. What other choice do I have?"

"None. Now, follow me." He opened the door for her and she stepped out.

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**Well? What do you think? SETO'S GONNA BE IN THE NEXT CHAPTER!!!! Ten reviews, please. And review quickly, I wanna update!**


	6. That Burning Glance and Look of Desire

**I got 18 reviews since last night?! -Jaw drops- Wow...just wow...I'm flattered and shocked at the same time. A by the way, someone asked if Shinji is an OC, yeah, he is. I just was at a lack of a creative name. Well, here's a new chappie.** **I'll try to make my chapters longer and add more details from here out. And I'm really sorry for spelling mistakes and such.**

**I'm not stupid or illiterate, I promise. But I type fast and I don't proof read very often so I often screw up words. I am very sorry.

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**Chapter Six**

_That Burning Glance and Look of Desire_

Black lace, fishnet, and red silk. Anzu stared at her reflection, a slightly disgusted expression darkening her. She stood in nothing but silk langerie with black lace and fishnets gracing her long, shapely legs. Her auburn hair was pinned up with rose barettes on each side and her lips were painted red.

She was the vision of lust and desire. Her curvy waist exposed, so much of her white, delicate skin revealed for the hungry eyes of the bidders.

It had been four weeks and all of her cuts and bruises had healed without a scar. Anzu, along with about twenty other young women, had been trained as dancers to impress the bidders. Most of the women were prostitudes who were maong the loveliest and were accustomed to this.

But she was not. So, her stubborness had made her the black sheep and she was shunned by the other girls. However, her instructor was just as stubborn and forced her to learn.

Her naturally elegant and flexible body felt like it was meant to dance. She moved better than anyone else when she actually tried. And with those big blue eyes and that body, it would only take one "hey there big boy..." look to get a battle of bids among those men.

Anzu made a face at herself. Why had she bothered to go through with this? It was shameful, disgraceful, and put her pride on the line.

But Shinji's words never left her mind. How she could get out of this contract with money and without her body in the bed of a man. She shuddered, imagining some nasty old man stroking her sensitive skin provacatively, kissing her, taking her innocence away.

Anzu smacked herself.

THWACK!

The resonating sound of skin on skin echoed in her ear and she snapped out of it, her face stinging. OK, maybe that was a bit too much. She rubbed her cheek, cursing quietly under her breath. Tonight was the beginning of Hell.

* * *

"Mr. Kaiba, welcome." Seto nodded curtly to the greeter and walked into the room. It was a fairly large theatre with men, most of them at least fifty, sitting at small round tables drinking sakke or flirting with the wairotrs, all wearing short, tight kimono and an overdose of make-up.

Seto sat down without a word. He had been bored and craved soem entertainment. Not to mention it was fun to watch the bloodthirsty bidders actually fight for the dancers' contracts. He never bid, there was no point.

He had never found a pretty enough flower worthy of him spending his hard-earned money. If a pretty girl threw herself at him for free, he'd give her a little fun, but then he'd let her go, occasionally paying a small amount of yen to get rid of her.

As the richest man in practically all of Japan, he knew how to keep himself from losing his mind to desire.

At least, that's how it was until he laid eyes on the sultry dancers tonight, one special one in particular.

A girl with glossy black hair down to her waist, dark eyes, and lily white skin looked out to the audience and squealed slightly with excitement. Her name was Umeko, and she was amongst the prettiest dancers and one of the best. She also had a sharp tongue and a cheeky nature.

Umeko was a little taller than Anzu and about a year older. She wore langerie entirely made of black lace, plum blossoms in her hair, and no fishnet or tights.

"You'll never BELIEVE who's out there!" she exclaimed.

"Who?" another girl squeaked.

"Seto Kaiba!" Chatters of excitement ran through the dancers, but Anzu remained in the dark corner of the scarlet curtain and stayed silent. Umeko stared at her. "What's with you?" she asked.

"What us so great about Seto Kaiba?" Anzu asked simply. Everyone gasped.

"You don't know him?" another dancer gasped, her eyes practically popping. She looked like a fish at that moment with the big, gaping mouth, white skin, and bugged eyes.

"He's only the richest man in the entire Southern Clan, possibly in all of Japan. He's even richer than the head officials of the clan." Umeko placed her hands on her sultry little hips. "How can you not know him? Have you lived in a cave all your life?"

"Close enough to that."

"Wow, you're an even bigger freak than I thought." Anzu glared.

"Watch it, Umeko."

"Or you'll what?" she challenged. Anzu cracked her knuckles threateningly.

"Snap your spin in half!" The crowd of girls shrieked when their instructor came up to them.

"Girls, what's going on?" she demanded. "The dancing is about to start."

"She threatened me!" Umeko pointed an accuising finger at Anzu. Oh yes, did I mention she is also a huge suck-up?

"Anzu, is this true?" Anzu shrugged at this, her face at a loss of expression.

"Maybe it is."

"She did! We were all here and we saw it." All of the dancers nodded. The instructor sighed.

"Anzu, how many times do I have to tell you to hold your temper? All of you just be quiet and get ready. You're about to be announced and I want you to do your best, unless you want to spend your lives on the streets as beggars or prostitudes."

"Yes Noriko-sensei." Once again, Anzu was silent. Her lips formed a firm line and she stood with her arms crossed. A man peeked in through the wings.

"Ladies, are oyu ready? You're about to be announced."

"Yes, we are." Noriko clapped. "Alright girls, dance positions. On with the robes." The dancers all put on silk robes and took dance positions.

Umeko was up in the very front, fluffing her hair and puffing out her lips. Anzu stood in the corner, emotionless. She was craving the end of this more than anything right now.

A man walked onto the stage. He wore a suit and had a shady type of look to him. His face had stubs of hair that was baginning to form a beard and he smelled like sakke.

"Gentlemen, welcome to the village of Kyoto and thank for you for joining us for our monthly dancers. Tonight, we have quite a flock of sparrows for you. Twenty-one lovely ladies will be out in just a moment to dance for you and then you will have the once in a lifetime oppertunity to buy one."

"YEAH!"

"Heh heh, now hold on tigers. You can only purchase up to two girls, so everyone can have a more fair chance to grab one. Now, I'm only mentioning this because I can see Mr. Kaiba sitting out there." Seto rolled his eyes.

"don't worry, I'll resist buying up all your little dancers."

"Ha ha, that's all we ask. Now, are you all ready for a little entertainment?"

"HELL YEAH!"

"Then sit back, and enjoy the show!" He bowed out of the way and the stage lights dimmed. The curtains parted slowly and the men in the audience roared. The girls stood there, heads bowed. Music started, slow and eerie. It was Sokyoku music, a man playing solo with a koto.

The girls all pulled out a fan with their right arm and opened it with a sharp flicks of the wrist. They withdrew the fan over to their face and slid thei feet to the right.

They moved in synch, turning slowly, chanting softly to the music. With sharper notes they stopped and abruptly moved to a new pose and crept to the side, then moved another way. The temp increased ever so slowly.

Although it was a lovely dance, thhe men in the audience were soon bored and started to complain.

"Where's your sexy dancers? We didn't come here for a boring theatre show!"

"Yeah!"

"Bring on the excitement!"

Suddenly, the music quickened and a Shakuhachi was now being played by a woman. The girls threw off their robes and their fans and the stage lgihts brightened. The men cheered.

"YEAH!"

"FINALLY!" The quickened music called for their special moves.

They wiggled their hips sexily, showed off their legs, and crawled for the men, earning louds whoops and yells of impatience for the bidding to begin.

"DANCE ON THE TABLES!" Anzu immediately panicked at this. She was doing good at being ignored, but if she danced on a table...

Umeko smiled, immediately jumping on the oppertunity for attention. She leapt onto a table and earned louds cheers. She spun for them, showing off every attribute of her body.

"come on boys, you know you want me." She got a few men to slap her on the rear, some stroked her legs but she pushed them back and smirked playfully and kept going, teasing everyone who was foolish enough to touch.

Anzu rolled her eyes in disgust. She was not willing to throw herself out to the shark tank and risk those nasy old men groping at her.

Umeko FINALLY finished her disgusting display and jumped back onstage.

"You all can come and get me later!" She winked and blew a kiss, and Anzu swore the men became rabid dogs. They were practically foaming at the mouth for that whore. She wlaked past her. "Don't worry, I'm sure you can get some old geezer to pay thirty yen for you." Anzu glared daggers at her.

One by one, each dancer leapt out and did their own little dance, trying to get the men to go rabid with desire and want so they'd get more money.

They showed off whatever features were best. Pouty lips, nice neck and shoulders, large or perky breasts, tight and curvy stomaches, round butt, shapely legs, you name it. But it was mostly legs, breasts, and their asses the men seemed the care about.

Anzu almost gagged. She had never been more disgusted in her entirely life. She's rather gut a man then allow them to do to her what they were doing to the other girls. She stood in the shows, extremely close to the left wings of the stage and refused to come out and dance on the tables.

"Anzu!" Noriko snapped. "Get out there!"

"I don't think so."

"Now!" Anzu glared but knew she had no choice. Either she goes out on her own, or Noriko drag her by the hair and throw her to the perverts.

Taking a deep breath, she danced out, letting them take a look. Everyone stared.

She was more beautiful than the rest of the other dancers and her body was enough to kill. Seto sat up, eyeing her. He knew that face. It was that same girl he'd found by the village in the kimono. She was that one who'd knocked him from the tree. That pretty little peach from the northern Clan.

Anzu jumped onto a table and began to dance herself.

But unlike everyone els,e she was more conservative. She smacked away hands that were reaching a little too close. Unfortunately, the men seemed to like this more.

With an inward groan, she jumped to another table and found herself nearly freezing into a familiar pair of blue eyes. There was no way, it couldn't be!

But it was. That South Clan ninja who had been following her. The one she had knocked from the tree with those eyes that had made her freeze.

This time, he wore no mask. It was a young man, not too much older than her. And he was perhaps the most handsome man she had ever seen in her life. Strong, masculine and yet beautiful and somehow delicate features, alluring, thin lips, smooth arched eyebrows, auburn hair that shaded his face in the most perfect way it practically hurt, and those eyes were so amazing, and they were aimed at her.

She barely remembered to dance and moved as she was suppossed to. Unlike the other men, he just sat back and watched without trying anything, little expression on that face.

But she was unaware of the turmoil that raged inside as he watched her. His stomach formed into a tight knot with desire, his heart raced, and he found breathing to be a strain.

Something that beautiful was so close to him, and he wanted it. Her. More than anything else.

Anzu jumped to another table and he followed her with his heated gaze. Anzu felt that look on her back and tried not to stiffen up. Why did that one man make her feel so different?

The way he looked at her... It was terrifying and yet...excited her.

She jumped back onstage and walked off, shocked at how loud the groan of disappointment from the bidders was. Umeko was glowering in a corner.

"Slut!" she hissed. Anzu whirled around.

"Me?! And what the hell are you suppossed to be?" she snarled.

"Girls," Noriko snapped, voice threatening. Anzu walked away from Umeko and sat down on a stack of crates leftover from the theatre. She sighed and let her gaze drift around the small area.

Everything was constructed of wood. The floors were polished and the walls were mebroidered with tiny flowers, most blue and pink. She found this strangely comforting.

The announcer began to call out the names of each dancer for the bidding, but she did not pay attention.

Anzu tried to get a grip of herself and could feel her breats shortening as she grew fearful. Who would buy her? what if he was forceful and did not care how stubborn she was?

The thought of being raped hit her and her eyes flew open in fear. Anzu started gasping for air in fear and struggled to calm herself down. She was hidden in the darkness of the area and so nobody noticed her.

She gulped and tried to ease her mind. Nobody would hurt her. She would act like a bitch, convince them she was a total wench and convince whoever bought her to simply use her as a maid or whatever until the contract was up. Then they'd pay her the amount due and she would be freed to pursue her life.

These thoughts made her smile and she felt better. Anzu looked to see only three more girls, other than her, still needed to go onstage.

What would she do when she was free?

Buy herself a little house in a vollage and get a job somewhere? Yeah, maybe she could work in a nice little shop or a bakery. Cooking would be great to learn. Maybe meet a nice guy and start her own family?

Or perhaps Anzu could travel the islands of Japan as a trader of some sort and see the beauty of it all. It would be a life on the run and may guarantee more safety from Yoshinori. Her expression grew bitter as she thought of that asshole.

How dare he lie to her for so many years! How dare he kill her mother and brother and left her father to kill himself with nothing in the world just because he pursued happiness! How dare he take her and try to control her life!

Well, no more! She was finally free of him. Only a few years of serving some other jerk and she'd truly have a life of her own.

Maybe someday she could go and hunt down Yoshinori herself and put an end to this war between the clans. It was ridiculous and split Japan and caused nothing more than blood, war, and chaos.

"Anzu Mazaki!" She snapped out of her thoughts and sighed.

"Time for Hell to begin." She stood and walked onstage. The men whooped and clapped when they saw her. She blinked and walked to the center of stage.

"Well, how much do we have for this lovely little lady?" the announcer asked.

"500 YEN!" one man yelled.

"550 YEN!"

"565 YEN!"

"615 YEN!"

And the bids went on, each higher than the next. Men waved money in the air, yelling to outdo each other. Anzu felt her jaw drop as the sums increased. Noriko and Umiko had smiliar expressions.

She was breaking records for having the most amount of money bid for her.

"1255 YEN!" an elderly man, at least 60, yelled. It grew quiet.

"12,655 yen, is that my final offer?" the announcer asked. The silence remainded. "Very w-" Seto stood up, face very cool.

"25,000 yen." Murmurs spread among the men. He had nearly doubled the last amount for Anzu. Seto looked at the old man who had offered the bid before his. He was standing there, looking taken back. "Do you wish to outbid me?" he asked.

"Um...I..." He cleared his throat and sat down. Seto's lips formed into a smirk.

"Alright, 25,000 yen, is that my final offer?" Nobody stood up waving more money, nobody said a word. "Very well! Then, for 25,000 yen, Anzu Mazaki's contract goes to Seto Kaiba!" Anzu just stood there, a shocked look on her face.

Shaking it off, she walked passed the group of shocked dancers.

_"So...now this is over_..." a small voice in her mind whispered,_ "but what will happen next?"_

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**Man! I hope this chapter was long enough and had enough detail. I wrote it out once but then the stupid thing screwed up and I had to rewrite more than half of it. So PLEASE like it. **

**Ten reviews and then I will update. Happy Holidays!**


	7. Her Patron

**Merry Christmas! And thank you once more for all of my reviews. I was starting to doubt this fic but I'm glad you all like it. So here is my gift for you, an update!

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**Chapter Seven**

_Her Patron_

Anzu sat on a small chair, now dressed in white kimono, her hair pinned up elegantly and face powdered perfectly with make-up. She was waiting for the rest of the show to end and to meet her patron. Umeko was glaring daggers at her while Noriko was bragging on how it was her who made Anzu bloom into such a beautiful rose.

She was growing annoyed with all of this.

First off: Noriko had only forced her to dance. She had hardly done much more. Anzu did not mean to sound cocky, but she was naturally beautiful. It was not something she could help. In fact, the thing that amazed her the most was her skin had virtually no blemishes.

The worst was a small scar on her thigh from when an arrow had hit her.

She rarely ever got zits and was so elusive (not counting the recent beating she had gone through to escape without much suspicion) that her getting injured was seldom. But right now, that sucked she was beautiful.

Now she was a slave to some rich man, Seto Kaiba. And, apparently, he was that ninja who had been stalking her. What luck, right? And Umeko seemed to fail to see that. All she saw was someone was taking her precious spotlight away from her.

But it didn't matter. Umeko was going to be somewhere far away from her, never to be heard from again. And she was never going to give in to the demands Kaiba might have for her. Get in his bed? Hell if she'd do that! Take off her clothes? She's break his arm first. Act sexy for him? Only if he calls being a first class bitch sexy.

It would be tiresome and irritating, but she was just going to have to fight back with all she had.

"Hey whore!"

"Shut the hell up, Umeko. I wasn't kidding when I said I could break your spine." She gulped but tried not to show any other form of fear: and failed.

"Look, we have to go and meet our patrons. So get up and let's go."

"Since when are you in charge of me? I'm staying right here." Umeko rolled her eyes.

"Whatever, but you won't make Kaiba-sama happy if you just sit there."

"Thanks for the warning," Anzu said sarcastically, tossing some loose hair over her shoulder, "but I'll take my chances."

"Heh, suit yourself. See you never." And with that, Umeko waltzed out to start sweet talking her patron so he'd be more willing to pay more money to her and deck her out in extravagant silks and jewels.

Sex toys for the rich were often spoiled and given expensive trinkets to show off how high and mighty they were.

Still, Anzu would rather be in dirty rags then in fine silk if it meant preserving herself. So, in hopes of that being the case, she sat right there, hands in her lap, one ankle crossed over the other. It was peaceful backstage.

The music and laughter and such was toned down and came in strains, relaxing her. It was an odd sort of comfort. She knew of the stupidity that occurred beyond where she sat, and yet, hearing the muted noise of the theater made her feel less alone.

A few minutes passed and she decided to explore the areas around the wings some more, that way nobody would walk back and see her and ask, "What are you doing back here?" Not that she thought it would happen, everyone was too busy getting drunk on sakke and eating dumplings.

Everything was simple and pretty. The dressing rooms were filled with various costumes for dancers, Geisha, actors, you name it. Anzu lightly trailed her fingers over the costumes and smiled a bit, imagining some of the wild stories where the costumes may have been used.

She saw the accessories and make-up on some vanity tables and was intrigued. Growing up, all she had ever done was learn to fight and such. Occasionally she dressed up and went into town as Hoshiko. Never had she been able to look upon on things such as this.

It was all foreign to her. What was it like to watch these stage shows? How were the actors decorated?

Maybe she could see for herself after she finished her contract with Kaiba.

"You!" She gasped and spun around to see a man who obviously worked at the theater. "What are you doing back here? Nobody's allowed here unless there's a show."

"I-I'm sorry." She ran past him, not wanting him to report her to Noriko or bring her out to where everyone else was. She fled down the dark hall and bumped into a tall, solid figure so hard, she fell backwards and onto the floor painfully. "Ouch!"

Anzu rubbed her hip painfully. The person she had bumped into stared down at her.

"So, this is where you disappeared to."

"Excuse me?" she asked, squinting to get a better look at the person, whom she assumed was a man judging by his deeper tone of voice.

"You were supposed to go out with the other dancers to meet your patron." Anzu stood up and dusted off her kimono.

"Sorry, I didn't know. I was busy wandering around."

"Really?"

"And I didn't know I wasn't allowed back here so-"

"You were running so you would not get into trouble or forced to go out to meet your patron, am I right?" She felt her face grow hot will embarrassment.

"W-well, I...uh..." Her face grew hotter as she stumbled for something to say. The man chuckled. Anzu suddenly grew frustrated. "What makes you think you know me so well?" she snapped, pushing past him. "I don't have to deal with this."

"You really shouldn't be walking away from the man who just bought your contract." She froze and turned slowly.

"What?" she asked, eyes widened. He held up a scroll, lips, she could see, forming a smirk. A little light was in the hall and she could just make out the same man who had called out the bid for her. Seto Kaiba.

"You seem shocked."

"I just wasn't...well, it just...I thought...you'd be somewhere...else..." she mumbled, feeling stupid automatically.

"I'm not much of a sakke fan. Besides, I had a feeling you would not come out of hiding unless someone dragged you."

"What made you think that?" He chuckled.

"Let's just say I'm good at determining a person's action if I observe the way they behave." Anzu frowned at him.

"Fine, whatever, so now what?"

"According to this, you are considered mine for a year." She nearly passed out when he said this. A full YEAR? But she was somehow able to keep calm, which felt miraculous due to her hot temper.

"And my compensation?" she asked bitterly.

"Don't sound so cold."

"How much are you giving me at the end of my contract?" she repeated.

"Double what I bid for you, 50,000 yen." She nearly fell over at this sum.

"Are you kidding?"

"Is it not a large enough sum?"

"It's ridiculous! How do you know I'll even be worth the money?" she demanded. He shrugged.

"If you're not, it was just a bad investment. To me, that money is chicken feed." She frowned, very disturbed by the way he said that.

"You sound as if you've given away that money every other day."

"On the contrary, in fact."

"How much do you normally pay your little bed toys?"

"I don't normally indulge myself in purchasing women."

"And I was the exception?"

"You could say that. Now, if you're done around here, I'd like to show you to your home for the next year." Damn, that tone of his felt like ice water being thrown into her face. But she refused to shiver, no matter how strong the urge was.

Anzu simply straightened and made sure she looked as serious and emotionless as possible, lips forming a straight line, eyes cool.

"Fine." He offered an arm and she accepted it and he led her out of the wings of the stage and into the crowded theater.

Men were laughing, flirting, and drinking. The few women were doing as the men commanded, giggling, and getting tipsy. Anzu frowned in disgust and just let Seto lead her through the crowd, a bored look on his face.

They finally exited and Anzu saw it was nighttime. Snow was falling steadily, making the whole world white and glittery in the moonlight. People walked on the streets.

"Wait here." Seto released her arm and walked away. Anzu stood there, shivering. Her kimono was a thin silk and it was not doing a good job of keeping her warm.

Oh well, better than the night she ran away from the Clan.

A black horse walked up to her, Seto on its back. She blinked up at him.

"What? You didn't think I actually lived here, did you?" he asked.

"Actually, I did."

"No, I live a few towns over. Come on." She swung up onto the back of the horse and Seto lightly kicked the sides of the horse and it took off into a canter through the town. Anzu reluctantly wrapped her arms around his waist so she wouldn't fall off. That and she was freezing and hugging him helped her at least feel a little warmer.

They galloped through the forest, jumping over logs and such. It was growing darker and darker.

"How do you know where you're going?" Anzu asked.

"Stop asking questions." She frowned, already annoyed with him. The next year she was bound for Hell, no doubt.

They continued through the forest and she didn't say a word the rest of the ride. Instead, she began planning her next move.

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**Alright, I hope you liked the update. I just finished in time. Have a nice Christmas. Sorry it was a pretty short chappie, I'm kinda in a hurry. I have a dinner to go to so Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night! **


	8. A Restless Night

**Heyo, I am back! Thank you all for reviewing, thanks to you guys I've hit 100 reviews! AND I've drawn a cover for this story. The link is at the bottom of my profile so I hope if you have a Deviant account you will comment and fave the pic.

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**Chapter Eight**

_A Restless Night_

"God damn it." Seto growled. He and Anzu walked into an inn and dusted the snow off of them. They were one village away from his home and it was too dark to see anything and the snow was turning into a storm. "Looks like we're staying here for the night."

"In the same room?" she asked. Seto gave her a look.

"What do you think?" he asked. Anzu bit her lip and then her lips formed a frown and she placed her hands on her hips.

"Don't you dare think you're going to get anything tonight." He rolled his eyes.

"Would you not be stupid for two seconds? I am tired and just want to get some sleep. Don't think I want to just screw with you every ten minutes." He looked at her sharply. "Just because you're attractive, don't get a swelled head." and with that, he walked to the counter to talk to the innkeeper about a room.

Anzu stood there, jaw dropped.

"What...an...asshole..." she mumbled. Sighing, she just looked around the inn. It was quaint and cute. A small fire was going to keep it warm in the lobby. There were small potted pants everywhere, each cared for lovingly and pruned perfectly.

The floors were scraped but clean and the walls had been painted recently but still had some chips and such.

It felt more natural this way with the scars of time. Anzu liked it.

This inn was warm and true, not cold and false like her old home with the clan. Everything perfect, nothing out of place. Anzu made a face at the memory.

At this moment, Anzu realized that she completely hated perfection. It was so frustrating and offered no comfort or feeling of wholeness. Something that contained no flaws felt like nothing but a lie.

She needed something to have errors in it so it felt like it was true. Being in the clan and then running from it finally let her see what flaws were. And, oddly enough, she loved them. It was a type of relief to her after being boxed in an organization claiming to be perfect and wanting to rid Japan of its imperfections.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and jumped. Seto stared at her.

"I got us a room."

"Oh, alright." He turned and walked toward the stairs.

"Sleep well you two!" the old lady behind the counter called politely. Anzu turned to smile at her and followed Seto. "What a lovely young couple, don't you think, dear?" the old woman said to her husband. Anzu felt her face heat up at this comment.

Seto led her up the stairs of the inn and they came to a room. He slid it open and walked in.

There was a black table in the middle of the room with cushions around it and a futon already laid our on the floor. The furniture was all wood painted black and the walls were a cream color with trees painted on them and a window.

"Looks like the maid was already here." Seto dropped his bag on the floor and reached into it. Anzu walked in and looked around.

"It's nice." He gave a small grunt as an answer and pulled out some yen for the maid.

"This should be good enough for a tip." He wrapped it up and placed it on the table. "I hope my horse will be alright in the stables here..." he mumbled more to himself than aloud to Anzu. She chose not to comment on this and was glad she didn't when he started unpacking without even sparing a glance in her direction. "Do you have any other clothes?" he asked.

"Um, no. This was all I have." He sighed.

"Perfect." Then he threw something at her. She blinked as she caught it.

"What is this?"

"What do you think? A yukata. It's for men but I'm sure it will suit you for sleeping even if it's too big."

"Right, thank you." He nodded. The cotton kimono in her arms was a dark blue. She blinked, wondering if she should go to change out of the room or something Anzu looked up, mouth open to question but she froze and was just gaping.

Seto had removed his clothes and stood there, his top half completely bare. She just stared, completely spellbound.

His body was well muscled, but not too bulky. He had nice abs and a well toned chest from an obviously long amount of time training in martial arts and performing missions.

Seto Kaiba looked like he had literally been sculpted by the Gods. His body was just amazing, and with that handsome face it was enough to make your heart stop dead in its tracks.

He averted his gaze, feeling her eyes on him.

"What are you staring at?" he wanted to know, raising a delicate eyebrow. Anzu snapped out of her trance and could feel her face growing hot again.

"S-sorry. It's nothing."

"Right, are you changing into the yukata or are you going to sit there staring at me all night?" he asked, the corners of his mouth barely tilting into a smirk.

"I-I thought you might need to-I mean, I wasn't sure where I should change."

"Change here, I don't care."

"Uh, and what about you?" He smirked.

"What? Were you hoping for something?" She turned bright red, half out of embarrassment, half out of anger.

"Hell no!"

"Fine, whatever. I'm already changed. That yukata was mine, but I'll be fine without it."

"Are you sure? It's cold."

"I'm used to the cold."

"Alright." She started to untie her obi when she became very conscious of his presence in the room. Anzu looked in his direction and immediately felt the tension rise in the room when she noticed he was watching her. "Do you MIND?" she snapped.

"Hey, you were gawking at me, I think it's only fair I do the same." She shot him a cruel glare.

"Have some decency will you?" she snarled. "You're a man, it's not the same if I look at you without a shirt than if you gawk at me without a shirt. I have-" She stopped dead.

"What? Breasts? Please, I'm not a hermit. I've seen a naked woman before. Besides, according to our little contract, I am allowed to look at you however I want."

"What? I get NO say what-so-ever?" she demanded.

"No."

"That's a bunch of shit!"

"Hey, blame your contract."

"No, I blame you for even buying into this." He chuckled. "What is so funny?"

"You. Fine, I'll turn around." She raised an eyebrow, mistrust in every inch. He turned, his back to her. "There, happy?" She smiled.

"Yes." Anzu began to slip off her kimono. Seto could hear the soft sound as the silk hit the ground and took a breath to calm his hormones as pictures entered his mind. He could hear her slipping on the kimono and then heard soft grunts of frustration. "Hey, can you help me tie this thing up? It's too loose in the front."

Seto turned and saw her struggling to tie the yukata and hold the front close.

"It won't help much you know." She glared.

"Don't be a pervert. You know it will help." He smirked and shook his head.

"We both know those yukata show off more of the chest. You'll just have to put up with it."

"God damn it!" She glared. "You planned this, didn't you?"

"No. But if it helps, we can tie your obi around your chest as an undershirt."

"'We?'"

"You think you can do it on your own?" She sighed and turned around and slid the yukata off her shoulders, exposing her pale back.

"Just hurry up." He picked up the silk obi. It was fairly big so it would be enough to cover most of the torso.

"Lift your arms." She obeyed. He brought his arms around her and she took in an uneasy breath. The silk hit her skin and he began to wrap the obi around her until everything from her breasts to under her belly button was covered.

He pulled the yukata back up, hands trailing for just a moment on her shoulder. She winced a bit.

"There. I couldn't tie it, but it shouldn't come undone." She turned around and he looked at her.

The yukata seemed to have a deep V-neck and the black silk of the obi looked like it might be a shirt under it.

Were it not sleep wear, it could look very stylish. And then he thought about where he was looking and looked away before she smacked him.

"So, ready for bed?" he asked. She frowned.

"I don't know." He shrugged.

"Well, I'm tired." He walked over to the futon and moved under the quilts. Anzu sighed and went into the futon next to him.

"Don't you try anything."

"Would you relax?" he snapped, now getting irritated. "Just go to sleep. We're leaving first thing tomorrow."

"Fine." She rolled on her side, facing away from him.

Anzu slowly let her eyes close but wasn't able to fall asleep.

She was very aware of the man only a few inches away, drifting off to sleep and breathing softly. What was wrong with her? Why was there so much tension and awareness? Was it the situation?

Possibly. Or maybe it was _this _particular man who was making her so uneasy. Either way, she did not like it.

She felt him shift and pull the quilts up to cover his bare shoulders from the cold. Anzu rolled and looked at him.

_"He's asleep..."_ She sat up and looked at him. He looked so peaceful. Anzu lay back down, a little closer to him than before. She could feel the heat radiating from his body.

Although he was the biggest asshole, not counting Yoshinori, that she had ever met, it was nice to be close to another person after feeling alone for so many years. Anzu's head rolled to the side and she finally started to sleep.

* * *

Anzu opened her eyes and found herself standing in a forest. She blinked and looked to see she was wearing nothing but bandages over her chest and long pants.

It was very warm, even though a good amount of the sun was blocked out by the ancient trees. She walked around, wondering what was going on, where she was.

The forest floor was shadowy and little clicks from animals hiding in the brush were heard. Flies and bees buzzed, squirrels and chipmunks squeaked and munched on acorns, racoons and foxed crunched leaves when they ran on the forest floor.

Suddenly, a low growl filled her ears. All of the animals became mute and it felt like nothing else but her stood there. Silence.

Then, she heard loud footsteps and a large, furry paw with claws at least three feet long crushed some trees near her. Anzu shrieked and leapt out of the way.

She looked up to see a giant demon that resembled a wolf glaring down at her with the same eyes as Yoshinori's. Toxic drool dripped from its yellow teeth, rotting away plants. The fur was tangled and ugly and it looks ready to kill.

"You can never escape me, Anzu!" The wolf head formed into Yoshinori's face and he cackled evilly. "The clan will find you and you will regret ever escaping." She screamed and ran.

But no matter how fast she ran, she could hear the foot steps so close behind her. The demon smelled of blood.

Everything around her was beginning to rot. She screamed as ghosts rose from the decay, moaning.

"You can't escape the clan...you can't escape the clan..." they chanted. She was stopped by one spirit that rose up in front of her.

"Anzu..."

"Father?"

"Beware...Yoshinori..."

Anzu jumped awake in a cold sweat. She gasped and looked around.

It was still late and she was laying in the futon next to Seto. She took a deep breath and sighed with relief.

"Thank God it was only a dream..." She laid back down and frowned. _"Don't worry, Father, I'll never let Yoshinori get me. And I swear to avenge you."_ And she drifted into a dreamless sleep, trying to comfort herself with positive thoughts.

After a while, she felt more comfort ad a sudden warmth in her heart. What she failed to know was this feeling began when she rolled over and threw one arm over Seto's sleeping form and snuggled up against him.

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**Yeah, Anzu and Seto are already attracted to each other. That's the whole idea, they start out attracted to each other. But LOVING each other, that's another story. Well, I kinda liked this update. But I don't know why I like giving Anzu nightmares in my stories. That's so weird. I guess it makes for good drama. Well, don't worry, the nightmares aren't going to be coming back so much.**

**Well...Seto might get some and- OOPS! No more spoilers. Heh heh, review please.**


	9. An Awkward Moment

**Cool, I got my ten reviews. Now, I'm happy. But I got a question in one review. I answered her but I want to answer it again for everyone just to kinda clarify it because it was a pretty good question.**

**OK, it concerns Seto and Anzu's age. Anzu is...I want say 18, maybe 19. But she is a young adult. And Seto is only 22-23. He's not in his thirties. I don't recall ever saying their ages, but that's a general idea. Their age difference is only about 4-5 years and trust me, back then, that's REALLY good compared to some other marriages. So, there you have it. **

**The age is not really important, actually. Just know they're both fairly young adults and the age difference is not this huge gap. OK, now we can begin with the update. Heh, I think you might like this one.

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**Chapter Nine**

_An Awkward Moment_

Seto opened his eyes slowly and blinked a bit at the light of the sun in their room. He sighed spft;y. It had been a good night sleep, better than most nights he had spent in inns over the last few months, and he didn't want it to end yet. He felt something warm next to him move and looked to see Anzu curled up beside him, one hand resting against his bare chest, the other arm cradling her lovely face.

He felt his face grow a little warm and noticed one of his arms was around her in a protective embrace. When did that happen? And he recalled some dreams he had dealt with through-out the night. A few had felt more real than they should.

Eyes widened in panic, he practically jumped out of the bed. Anzu stirred but then rolled over and continued sleeping. He examined her, wondering what he could have done in his sleep that would obligate her to kill him.

As far as he could see, the worst he had done was put an arm around her. Sighing in relief, Seto went out of the room to the baths.

_"What is that girl doing to me?"_ he thought as he grabbed a towel and stepped into the steamy hot spring. The weather was clear and beautiful this morning and the hot springs made it bearable outside.

Snow piled perfectly on the landscape and the sun beams danced on it. The steam from the water fogged his vision slightly. Seto frowned slightly.

_"She's completely distracting me! I mean, I wake up and she just has her hand on my chest and I freak out! Pull yourself together, Kaiba! She's just another woman who's going to warm your bed for a while. Stop making such an issue out of this!"_ He smacked his face lightly to snap him out of it.

So what is Anzu was prettier than most girls. She was very bold and snippy. Most men would not even put up with a girl like her.

AGH! But her attitude was only attractive to him. Damn it!

OK, OK. Think.

_"She's from the Northern Clan!"_ ...but she ran away which means she's not corrupt, like the Clan was. OK, so much for that being a major flaw that would make her lose appeal.

She is stubborn and does not like you. Who wants a woman who doesn't like you? I mean, that seems really stupid when you come right down to it. But, to Seto's irritation, he did not care and was willing to just let his natural charm break her down.

Was there nothing that could make her less appealing? He sighed and sank into the water. Right now, maybe he should not waste time thinking about this until later.

Anzu opened her eyes a while later and sat up, yawning and stretching. She noticed that she was alone instantly and blinked.

_"Wonder where Kaiba went..."_ she thought. His bag was still there. Anzu shrugged and decided she may as well wash up before they left. She took her kimono and walked down the stairs.

The old woman and her husband were already behind the counter.

"Hello dearie, did you sleep well?" the woman asked kindly. Anzu smiled and nodded.

"Yes ma'am, I did. Um, do you have a bath anywhere?"

"We have a lovely bath outside through the door down the hall. It's warm enough so you won't get cold."

"Are there a lot of people there right now?"

"Not at this time, it's too early. Feel free to go and take your bath. We have towels available for our guests as well." Anzu bowed.

"Thank you, ma'am." And with that, she went down the hall to the bath. What the old woman failed to tell her was Seto was still out there. She had assumed they were a married couple and it would not bother Anzu he was there.

Well, she was sadly mistaken.

Anzu took a towel and some soap and then took off the yukata she had borrowed from Seto along with the Obi tied over her waist. She stepped into the water and sighed. It was perfect.

She pinned up her hair and pat the damp hair at the nape of her neck dry. It was so peaceful.

Seto, in the meantime, was getting a little dizzy from the heat, seeing that he'd been in the bath for a fairly long time.

"I'd better go and get dressed." He began walking toward the end of the spring and Anzu heard the soft splashes from when he moved.

She stood up and looked.

"Is someone there?" she wondered quietly. Seto looked up.

"Hm?" They stared at each other for a moment. Silence...

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

**

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Seto walked out of the inn with a large, red hand print on his face, a very large scowl on his face. Anzu was also angry. The innkeeper and his wife apologized a dozen times for not telling Anzu he had been there, and explained that they assumed they were married and Anzu would not have freaked out.

"I really am sorry, Miss. You two just seemed like you were a couple and I just-" Anzu held up a hand.

"Don't worry, ma'am, it's really alright." The woman sighed.

"If you're sure." The old man was talking to Seto, who was dead quiet as he paid for their stay. The man bowed politely and apologized to him before walking back into the inn with his wife.

They retrieved his horse and climbed on its back and rode away. Again, it was silent.

Frowning, Anzu hesitantly looked up at Seto. He was staring straight ahead, a very pissed off look on his face. She sighed loudly.

"What?" he growled. "Didn't slap me hard enough? Did you want to permanently scar my face with your handprint and failed?" She made a face.

"Well, with that attitude, I wish I had!"

"HEY! You walked in on ME! You SCREAMED and then slapped me and the innkeeper comes out with his SWORD and wants to kill me because he thought I was trying to ASSAULT you. And you're blaming me for this?" he snarled. Anzu was silent for a moment.

"Wait, I did not walk in on you!" she retorted, anger in her voice. Seto growled.

"Fine, my mistake. But I'm trying to get out of the bath and you happen to be there and freak out, slap me, and I had to try and convince the old man not to gut me alive. Oh yes, this is how I love to begin my mornings."

"Fine! I'm...sorry..." Anzu mumbled. Seto narrowed his eyes and wanted her to suffer so much more for this.

"I'm afraid I didn't quite hear that." She glared.

"I'm sorry, ok? Happy, asshole?" He began to calm down a bit and took in a deep breath to avoid yelling at her and making the situation worse. Time to act mature instead of acting like a little kid. He's gotten his temper tantrum for the day.

"Sure, and you could at least call me Mr. Kaiba or Kaiba-sama instead of asshole."

"Why?" He sighed.

"Look, you're going to live in my house, can you at least show SOME form of courtesy? If you want, I'll only call you Mazaki-san or Miss Mazaki instead of Anzu. Would that please you?" She was quiet.

Now that she thought of it, she had not been all too fair to Kaiba and right now he was acting remotely decent...

No! No! Do not go soft now, Anzu. She had to follow through with her plan to get out of this mess in one piece. Still, I guess the name thing could be settled. And he was at least trying not to act like such an ass to her...

"You can just call me Anzu if you want, I don't really care. And I'll call you Kaiba, deal?"

"Deal." She nodded and inhaled a sharp breath. Every conversation they had made her feel more tense and want to tread more cautiously for some odd reason. What exactly was she afraid of?

Anzu did not get much more time to ponder on that because Seto rode up to a large manor and jumped off his horse. She stared. It was a grand home, every detail elegant and beautiful.

"Well, here we are." He offered her his hand and helped her off the horse before a servant took it back to the stables. "Follow me." He walked up the stairs to the front door where a man bowed and greeted him.

"Good morning, Mr. Kaiba. Welcome home."

"Thank you." He took off his sandals and the man took them. Anzu did the same and the servant also took her sandals.

Seto led her inside the tasteful and beautiful mansion. She held her breath and gazed in wonder. It was amazing.

"Would you stop staring like an idiot and come with me?" Seto snapped impatiently. Anzu blinked and then ran after him. He explained some of the rooms, which were alright for her to enter, which were not.

They arrived to a large, blue, black, and white bedroom of great size with a large futon and expensive furniture.

"This is our room." He face turned red promptly and she turned to face him, her actions resembling twitches.

"O-our room?" Great, now she was stammering too.

"Yes." He said it like it was something he told anyone everyday.

"B-but-"

"Look, I bought your contract and we are sharing a room." Seto watched her, a smirk started to form at the way she squirmed.

"But...I don't really...want to..." she mumbled.

"Well you're a first." He walked into the room after handing his bag to yet another servant. Anzu blinked and stared after him, taking a moment to talk.

"Excuse me?" Seto walked to a closet and pulled out a fresh change of clothes.

"You heard me. I have women who stalk me and throw themselves at my feet, begging for just one night of pleasure with me. And you," he turned to face her standing in the doorway, "you are totally appalled by the concept of sharing a room with me? It's somewhat amusing."

"Well, sorry your Highness. But I will not be swayed by your money or good-looks." She crossed her arms over her chest. "I want my own room or you can kick me out onto the streets."

Seto stared at her, a rather dark look forming on his face, and he walked over to her. And the look of his eyes made even Anzu Mazaki want to take back her words and never say them again. She gulped as he drew closer.

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**Heh, it's a cliffie. I hope you liked the moment. I felt like adding some humor and showing off more of Anzu's spunk and Seto's temper. PLEASE review, I really want to post the next chapter but I like having my ten reviews to make me feel special.**


	10. The Bet on Desire

**Whoo-hoo! I'm back yet again. I am having so much fun writing this fic. I hope you all continue to like it. Alright, enjoy the next chappie and please read the last A.N.** **YAY! CHAPTER TEN! DOUBLE DIGIT!

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**Chapter Ten**

_The Bet on Desire_

Seto stared at her, standing the doorway, arms crossed, a frown on her face. But he could already see signs of weakness in her facade just by one look from him. He kept his dark look, eyes looking ready to hunt and kill at one more wrong word and he stalked towards her.

By the time he was there, there was fear in her eyes. He wasn't surprised, but right now he was not happy with her response.

He stared down at her and placed a hand just below the ear so his thumb touched her jaw line and the rest of his long fingers could curl around and begin to feel the hair at the nape of her neck. Anzu was trying to avoid his eyes but he forced her head up.

"Listen, Anzu..."

His voice was so cool so silky, it was all she could do not to shiver. It made her heart race. Damn him and how sexy he was! Even she could not deny that much. And right at his moment, the way his hand so perfectly cradled her head, fingers stroking her nape, thumb running against her sensitive jaw, was it any wonder that desire was beginning to form? She bit her tongue to fight the feelings growing inside of her.

"What do you think you're trying to pull?" he continued, a cruel smirk on his face. "I can tell by your reaction to my _touch_ that you want me." She felt panic rising up inside. "Imagine if I actually held you, kissed you. Would you be able to resist me?" he whispered, running a finger over her soft lips. They felt as soft as rose petals.

_"Fight it, Anzu. Fight him!"_ She pulled back from him, ignoring the urge to go right back.

"Shut up! You think you know everything, but you don't! I might be somewhat attracted to you, but it's only physical." She glared. "And let me tell you, there are millions of men out their as handsome as you, so just because I might want you a little bit now does not mean I don't hate you. Lust and love are completely different things."

"And who, may I ask, said anything about love?" he asked icily. Damn it! He was getting the wrong idea. Damn him! And damn her for saying something so idiotic without thinking it through first!

"You know what I mean." She turned away from him slightly, praying he'd let it go. Wrong.

"No, I don't. Enlighten me."

"If you're too stupid to figure it out, why should I waste my breath explaining." Seto paused and Anzu watched him from the corner of her eyes. He seemed to be lost in thought. She hardly noticed the slight perk of realization in his eyes before he gave an evil smirk.

"Oh...I get it." His moves were so sudden. She was trapped by his arms around her, practically binding _her_ arms. "You're scared. Scared you might fall in love with me."

"That's not it at all!" she snapped, trying to wriggle free. No good, his arms were too tight around her.

"Isn't it?" he whispered into her ear. Something stirred in her stomach and she gasped for breath. One hand slid down the side of her body and she tried not to show how it was making her blood pound.

It stopped a little above the hip and she knew he was smirking again.

"You really are lovely, Anzu." He traced the other side of her waist, more delicately with his other hand. "Beautiful face, body, too bad your attitude doesn't match." She pulled free again and whirled around, a truly angry look on her face.

She had never been so pissed at anyone (not counting Yoshinori) in a LONG time.

"You pervert!"

"Trust me, what I just did was nothing. I touched the sides of your waist. There are many places my hands could have wandered that would have paralyzed you with shock and then have you exploding mad."

"I AM EXPLODING MAD!"

"Then you have the worst temper I've ever seen in my life, worse than mine." She moved to slap him, but he caught her wrist to stop her.

"I hate you!" she spat.

"Really?" he dropped her hand. "I see." She raised an eyebrow at him.

"What does that mean?" He turned and walked back into the room. She followed him, even though it was probably a mistake. "Hey, I'm talking to you!"

"Anzu, tell me something."

"What?"

"How disgusted are you at the thought of sleeping with me?" Seto asked, give her a dry look. Anzu blinked and then regained her grouchy expression.

"I'd rather eat my own arm, if that's what you mean." He chuckled.

"That much?"

"Look! I might find you handsome, but I do NOT want to get into bed with you and be your little play thing." She crossed her arms. "I want more than that, after being trapped in the Clan for so long. One," she held one finger up, "I want to be ready. Two," she held up a second finger, "I want to love the man. Three," she held up a third finger, "I don't want to be sold to him!" Her hands formed into tight fists.

"Yes, that's fair, I suppose."

"So why don't you just pay me and let me leave early?" she asked, half sarcastic, half serious. Seto looked thoughtful again.

"I think I might have a better idea..."

"What do you mean?" she asked, frowning.

"Hear me out."

"Fine." Seto sat down on his bed.

"You claim you are completely disgusted at sleeping with me. That you do not wish to take part in anything of the sort." She rolled her eyes heavenward, thinking,

_"Thank you Captain Obvious."_ But out loud she said, "Yes, that's what I said."

"Well, what do you say to a little bet?" he offered. This automatically sent sirens of warning rining in her mind. She still did not trust him.

"A bet? What kind of bet?" she asked, narrowing her pretty eyes.

"I can already tell you that I do desire you, but I won't pounce."

"Could've fooled me..."

"But you don't want anything to do with me except have me pay you at the end of your contract and let you go on your merry way."

"Right, so what are you getting at? I don't have all day." Seto pursed his lips.

"I bet...you do desire me."

"Excuse me?" He leaned back, smirking.

"You heard me. I give it two weeks that you give in and let me make love to you."

"Wait, wait one second. You're saying you give me two weeks. And if I suddenly go nuts and decide to sleep with you, I lose this bet?" she asked. Seto nodded.

"Exactly."

"How do I know you won't pin me down and force yourself upon me?" Anzu snapped. Seto sighed and stood up and went over to his balcony. Anzu followed him.

"Believe it or not, I'm not a bad man. I won't try to rape you or hurt you during the time you reside with me and I will release you from the contract and never bother you again."

"Hmph." He turned.

"But, I confess that I want you, Anzu." His face grew serious. "And I want to give you a fair chance to see what you want. Two weeks is not too long so it may be easy for you to win."

"There have to be limits as to what you can do to me!"

"I am not allowed to touch you in any way that is sexual or will make you completely uncomfortable."

_"Every time you touch me I'm uncomfortable..."_ Anzu thought dryly.

"Furthermore, I cannot force you to do anything. It is all your choice in this matter."

"Fine, that sounds alright. But what if I win the bet?"

"You do not have to do anything here with me. You can reside in your own room, eat, live, and when the time comes, I release you from the contract and pay you and you will never see or hear from me again. However, during the bet you are to stay in the same room as me."

"How is that fair?"

"I won't try anything. And if what you say is true, you should be able to sleep next to me without feeling a thing. Or are you afraid you'll-"

"Shut up!" she snapped. "OK, I agree to that condition. And what happens if you win, like that will happen."

"You stay in my room and do as I tell you unless it is completely inconvenient and you have legitimate excuse." He smirked and leaned against the balcony railing. "Do you agree to the bet?"

"Heh, if it means ridding myself of dealing with you, of course I do. When does it start?"

"Right now. And in two weeks, at this time, the bet is over unless you cave first."

"Please." She rolled her eyes. "I won't lose this. It'll be an easy victory. I'm almost tempted to up the time by another week"

"We could make it a month if you think you're that willful."

"I'm not an idiot. But I'll give you a little more time to 'win.' Three weeks, and not a day more."

"Fine with me." He held out his hand. She grabbed it and shook before walking out of the room. Seto smiled to himself.

"Well...we'll see how this turns out." He looked out to his garden, buried in the snow. "Little does she know...I always get what I want and she won't be an exception if I have anything to say about it..."

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**HELP! OK, I planned this bet from the start. But who the heck is gonna win? I've gone over the results of what happens when either or wins and it works fine with the plot both ways! So can you all please vote? **

**Both are good. I just don't know which one to pick. And I cannot write out the next few chapters well unless I know who'll win. So please, VOTE!**


	11. Control Your Temper

**WOW! I got 19 reviews, I am now every happy! And I am pretty happy with the voting results because I was leaning a little more in one direction anyway and you all really helped influence my choice, so thank you! I love all my reviewers! You guys make my day.

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**Chapter Eleven**

_Control Your Temper_

Anzu sat downstairs and sipped some tea. She was completely alone. The servants were off cleaning or preparing the evening meal, Seto was working, and she was bored out of her mind. After draining the small cup, she stood and started exploring the manor.

She peeked into some of the rooms, disappointed to find most of them were empty or had little in them. What a lonely house... How could Kaiba stand living here?

Then she remembered him mentioning something about traveling often and spending the rest of his time working or going on missions, so what difference did it make?

Soon, Anzu came to another door and what she saw on the other side made her eyes go wide with wonder. It was a room filled with shelves of books, almost like a library but not quite so big. She walked in slowly, looking around in amazement.

"It's...amazing..." she breathed. Anzu loved to read! She did not get to indulge in it very often, but when she did it was one of her greatest pleasures. There were chairs in the room so she ran to a shelf, grabbed the first interesting book she could find, collapsed into a chair and started to read.

The first book she grabbed was a dramatic romance. It was about a poor beggar who went to a fancy ball and met an elegant woman. But the man was slightly demented and had to kill three people every month, so he killed everyone close to her, including her family.

She discovered this after agreeing to an affair with him when she saw him kill her fiance. The woman was traumatized and he threatened to kill her unless she went on with the affair. The woman loved the man, but was terrified of him at the same time.

In the end, she died by throwing herself from her horse and into the sea to drown. The man followed her in death and that's how it ends. Anzu was crying when she finished.

It was beautifully written. The writer, she assumed, was a woman. But why would Seto keep books that were fiction? Men were so keen on realism. She shrugged, it was her entertainment. Right now, she thanked all the Gods in Heaven that she was literate.

She replaced the book on the shelf and pulled out another story. This one was a story of how some of the first Japanese came from China. It was not as entertaining as the romance, but it was still interesting.

Absorbed in the works of literature, Anzu lost track of time. The sun set outside and she forgot all about dinner. All she was focused on was the symbols in the book in front of her.

* * *

Seto walked out of his private study stiffly. He had been working with his money and such. It seemed like everyday he became wealthier, which was starting to bore him.

"K-Kaiba-sama."

"Yes, what is it?" he asked the small, timid maid. She was new and he still frightened her. Honestly, what did she think he was? A lion about to eat the little mouse before him?

"W-well, two things. Um, dinner is ready."

"And?" he asked, frowning at her.

"W-we can't f-find M-Mazaki-san..." she whispered. Seto stared at her.

"What exactly do you mean you can't find her?" he asked, voice low and dangerous.

"She wasn't in her room...a-and she didn't arrive for supper..." Seto glared at her and the maid immediately grew too frightened to continue.

"Don't just stand there, you idiot, find her!" he snarled. The maid shrieked in fright and ran away. Seto stormed off and started opening door after door.

_"DAMN IT! I should have known she'd try something like this! Well I'll find that little wench and drag her back here by her hair if I have to. Nobody runs out on Seto Kaiba and lives to tell about it."_

"Have you found her?" he barked at some servants.

"No sir, but we're on it."

"Where the Hell could she have gone?" he demanded.

"A few have gone to search the village and the grounds."

"What about the forest?"

"We'll get on that." And with that, they left. Seto continued marching through the corridors of the manor, nearly ripping off doors, searching for her.

He yanked open a door and she looked up from her book at him. By this point, Seto looked VERY rattled. His hair was off end, face a little flushed from the long rampage through the large home, shirt loose in the front revealing part of his toned chest.

Anzu fought a blush. He looked savage but so damn sexy, it was unreal.

"What are you DOING here?" Seto demanded, scowling at her.

"I was just reading and-"

"DO YOU KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS?" he yelled. "Nobody knew where the Hell you ran off to! I sent my entire staff out looking for you!"

"Whoa, calm down, Kaiba-sama. I'm just sitting here and reading a little. I lost track of time." Seto's face calmed a little. The lines of worry and anger softened and he sighed.

"Fine, let's just eat dinner. And next time tell some servants if you come here so we don't think you ran out."

"Hey, I have more sense of loyalty than that."

"Could have fooled me." She slammed the book shut.

"What was that?" she demanded, taking her turn to scowl. Seto pretended to look thoughtful.

"Well, wasn't it you who ran away from the Northern Clan? That does not exactly scream loyalty."

"That was different!"

"Care to explain how?"

"Yoshinori...he..." Her face twisted to its angry state. "Why should I explain myself to the likes of _**you**_? My life is none of your business, so deal with it and leave me alone." Seto chuckled lightly and smirked at her.

"Are you always this testy about every little thing?"

"What if I am?" she challenged.

"Then you have more spunk than most girls I meet." Anzu's eye twitched.

"I am hate your cool attitude for everything. It is really annoying."

"Yeah? Well maybe I don't like your bitchy attitude." Anzu marched up to him.

"You wanna go?" she asked, cracking her knuckles.

"Heh, think you could keep up with me?"

"Gee, I wonder." He smirked, eyes glinting a bit and she fought to urge to back down.

"You sure?" he asked silkily. "I mean, usually when you fight you wind up rolling around the floor. Aren't you afraid you might lose control?" The WAY he said that.

Damn it! Now she was getting dangerous thoughts, very bad thoughts.

Them fighting, faces flushes, hair in a disarray, limbs entwined, panting. What next? Imagine, just removing clothes from that picture and it moves from a fight to something...else. Anzu felt herself go red and she tried to shake the thoughts.

But she could not help but wish to cling to that image. Her body tangled with the man in front of her. Him holding her, making her feel like something treasured, precious.

_"NO! He's playing head games with you so you lose your head and ignore the bet. Do NOT listen to him."_ At times like this, Anzu loved her voice of reason.

"Kaiba, you really think I'm going to fall for your little mind trick?"

"Judging by that blush on your face, I'd guess yes." Anzu fought off another blush and forced herself to glare at him yet again.

"You are such an idiot."

"I am?" he asked. "Oh, that really hurts."

"Shut up, asshole."

"Or you'll what? Fight me?" he mocked. Damn, she regretted ever wanting to fight him. Now he was going to play those games with her head. And what was scaring her was she liked some of the stuff he was saying.

That ass was damn good at flirting, making the world around you seem meaningless. But she was not here to fall for some rude, rich boy. She was here to fill out the terms of her contract and get paid at the end.

"Back off."

"Hey, our be says I cannot touch you in any way that is sexual or will make you extremely uncomfortable. But I never said I couldn't play games with your mind."

"Do you honestly think it is that easy to seduce me with words?"

"Women do that to men all the time, so why can't we try it once in a while? Besides, admit it, I'm good at it."

"Maybe if I was some idiot tramp, you would be. But unlike most women who had to sell themselves, I've got a good head on my shoulders."

"Trying to pick a fight with me disproves that."

"Keep pushing my buttons..." she muttered.

"You keep making threats but so far I'm still standing. If you were even half serious with your threats, I'd have been killed by now, or at least have some broken bones. You're all talk and-"

"THAT'S IT!" she yelled, tackling him. Seto and her fell over and narrowly missed hitting a book shelf.

He smirked and threw her off him. Anzu growled and moved, trying to grab his throat while he kept her at bay. What was getting her angrier and a little more careless was how simple it was for him to keep her back.

But she was determined to give him a run for his money. They rolled all over the floor, knocking over various things in the library.

Anzu managed to elbow him in the abs and he got pretty ticked at that.

Finally, Seto had her pinned and they were both panting. She tried to squirm away, but not to fight. He was pressed against her in so many right places, she could feel her body start to grow aroused.

He did not seem to notice, and she wanted to keep it that way.

"Let go of me!" she yelled.

"Only if you calm down."

"Fine, fine! Just get off of me." Before Seto could do anything, three men walked into the room, dusting off some snow.

"Kaiba-sama, we could not find h-" They stopped when they saw the two.

"Are we interrupting?" one asked, grinning. Seto and Anzu exchanged looked and Seto nearly jumped off of her.

"NO!" they yelled.

"Mmm-hmm, right. Sorry, we should have knocked." The three left the library, snickered. Seto smacked his forehead.

"Ugh, terrific."

"What are you grumbling about?"

"Sometimes gossip from my servants spread to the village and to members of the clan. I don't want anyone to think I'm going soft by falling for some girl."

"I thought you've already screwed around with girls before."

"Yeah, but I just bring them to my room, do it, and let them leave, never to be heard from again. Never have I been in a position like that with someone anywhere but in my room, at night, when nobody will find or disturb me." Seto blinked. "Wait, if nobody could find you, how'd they find me and you here?"

"Maybe they heard your big mouth?" Anzu offered.

"Yes, I'm the one screaming her lungs out. Oh yes." Seto closed his eyes and massaged his temples. "Let's just forget it and go eat dinner. Of course, by now, the rice and stew are probably cold as ice." He sighed and walked out of the library.

Anzu stood there and took a deep breath. Then she ran after him to the dining room.

Seto was talking to a servant, asking them to go and reheat their food. The maid nodded and ran off. He sat down and Anzu sat across from him.

There were given some tea and a light pastry to eat while they waited.

"So..."

"So?" Seto asked, not even looking up at her as another maid poured him more tea.

"When did you move into the manor?" she asked. He sipped his tea almost delicately, with more grace than some women could and y et still maintained a masculine look. How the heck is that possible?

"When I turned seventeen and became a high ranked member of my clean."

"Oh?"

"Mmm-hmm. And how old are oyu?"

"Eighteen, but I'm turning nineteen in two months."

"I'm amazed you know your birthday."

"Yeah, sometimes I'm surprised to. And what about you?"

"What about me?"

"How old are you now?"

"Twenty-two."

"Wow, you're still young." He shrugged.

"So are you."

"Yes, but I'm not filthy rich, nor do I live in a huge manor."

"Technically you do."

"But it's not a permanent living arraignment of my own." He nodded at this.

"Good point. But most women are not even given the opportunity to purchase homes like this. In all truth, I'm shocked Yoshinori even made a female one of his higher assassins."

"My father was a member of the clan before me. I guess he knew it'd be in my blood to be great. Besides, women can be more agile than men. We're not weighed down by muscle and if you kick us in the groin, we are not left doubled over in pain." Seto blinked then he chuckled, but not evilly. It was leaning very closely to a laugh.

"You really are amusing." She grinned sheepishly.

"I try."

"And succeed." Finally, their dinner was served.

Rice, stew made of vegetable and pork, some fresh prawns for on top of the rice, and some noodles just for an extra treat.

"Wow..."

"What?" Seto asked, looking at Anzu.

"I've never seen this much food on one table in my life."

"What the heck did you eat back in the clan?" he asked, staring at her in confusion.

"Mostly rice and pickled vegetables. Yoshinori said not to eat much so we won't get fat. I'd occasionally go and eat in the village, but I could not get much."

"Ah, that'd explain your appearance the first time I saw you."

"Yes, the day you were stalking me. Care to explain why you were out there?"

"I was sent to kill a rogue and you caught my eye after I finished the mission." Anzu smirked.

"Heh, I caught your eye?" she asked. Seto took a bite of a prawn.

"Yes. You were dressed up more finely than most people in that village. Your kimono was of very fine silk."

"Ah, I see." He raised an eyebrow.

"Were you expecting me to say you were the most beautiful girl in the village?" Anzu turned red.

"NO!" she yelled, even though she had kind of been hoping for just that. Seto narrowed his eyes in a form of triumph. Anzu took a bite of her rice. "Good rice..." she mumbled.

"Way to discreetly change the subject."

"Oh please." She flipped her hair over her shoulder and continued eating. Seto pursed his lips a bit.

"I just thought of something." Anzu blinked and looked up, appearing quite innocent. Her chopsticks were perched, just barely held in her mouth. Seto clenched his fist a bit. He had a wild urge to lean over the table and kiss those lips.

But he wanted to live.

"We need to buy you a new wardrobe. You only have that kimono from that night at the auction. And you can't keep wearing your obi over your waist and my yukata. It just won't work."

"Well, you're right. I do need more clothes."

"Shall we go to the market tomorrow?"

"Wait, what about your work?" Anzu asked, not really wanting to spend an entire afternoon with her rude, somewhat taciturn "owner." They'd either be at each others' throats or be trapped in the shroud of an awkward silence.

"I can take one day off."

"You don't have to on my account. I could go with some of the maids and-"

"Heh, don't think you can avoid me forever. I'm going. Besides, I don't want any tricks from those maids. Knowing them, they'll see to it that half the material from your outfits are cut off." Anzu stared at him.

"You're kidding."

"They're ridiculous sometimes. I wouldn't put too much trust in them. But, they get their work done and know when to be sensible." He shrugged and served himself more rice, not wanting to bother with calling some random servant to serve him.

Anzu was silent. OK, maybe shopping with Kaiba would not be TOO bad. I mean, he wasn't the best person in the world, but he seemed decent enough not to cut off half of her clothes.

"Fine, what time should we leave?" she sighed before eating some noodles.

"After lunch."

"Alright." They finished their meal with little more said. By this time, it was growing late. Anzu was, admittedly, sleepy after reading for so many hours.

"Ready for bed?" Seto asked. She jumped, realizing a yawn had just slipped.

"Um, yeah."

"Go on. I'll be up in a little bit." Anzu trudged up the stairs. She changed out of her clothes into her obi and one of Seto's yukata.

Admittedly, she kind of liked using his clothes for her pajamas. They were comfortable and smelled really good.

_"Snap out of it, Anzu. It's only been one day and already you're starting to let your hormones go nuts for this guy. He's bad news! You can't want someone like him."_

Anzu took a deep breath and stared at her reflection in a mirror in the room. She tiled her head. Why did it seem like she was different person than before?

Seto came up and she was still staring at herself, thinking.

"Well, um, I'm not sure if this matters, but you look good. You might want to do your hair a little more." She looked over and smiled, amused by the joke. His heart caught a bit.

"Funny. Anyway, I was just spacing out." She walked to the bed and crawled under the covers. "Good night, Kaiba."

"Good night, Anzu." She rolled on her side and started to drift off to sleep. Seto changed into a yukata to sleep in and washed up. When he came into the bedroom, Anzu was dead asleep.

He looked at her. She looked so cute and relaxed. Smiling a bit, Seto reached over and combed some of her hair behind an ear.

"Why do I want someone like you?" he muttered. "I can have anyone else and yet you, the one who does not want me, catches my eye. How is that fair?" He leaned over and stole a kiss on her temple.

And then, he swore her lips curled into a soft smile. Seto laid next to her and fell asleep as well, a small smile also gracing his face.

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**...this chapter felt cheesy. NO! -bangs head to wall- I'M A FAILURE! ...well, I hope you liked it anyway. By the way, I am sad! Nobody comments my cover page on Deviant for this story. If you haven't seen it yet, please go look. **

**I'll update...eventually! **


	12. Soft Snow in the Village

**Huzzah, welcome me back, my dear fans! I have been indulging in "Kingdom Hearts" for the past week and I got a new parakeet and my mom got a new puppy. Yay! Okies**, **enjoy the update. I also feel like adding another disclaimer. I dunno why.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh of any of its characters. Anzu and Seto belong to Kazuki Takahashi whom I love for creating this show and giving me a reason to write this fanfic. But IF I owned Yugioh, then there'd be no reason for fanfiction, now would there?**

**I own the plot and any random characters I throw into the story. Ok, enjoy.

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**Chapter Twelve**

_Soft Snow in the Village_

Seto was working in an office in the manor, keeping up with his currency and such. It was early, he'd been awake since sunrise. And since the moment he opened his eyes to the current moment, he had gotten nearly half of a day's work completed. Admittedly, he was impressed.

There were new scrolls he still needed to deal with from the Clan. Missions were starting to come in. Not that he was surprised.

Within a few weeks, the snow would melt and it would be warmer. This was usually the time of the year when missions started up at a higher rate after the ground is iced. So far, most of his missions were assassination of traitors and thieves.

The Southern Clan had a far more noble cause behind their killings. In fact, on average, then only killed about 21 percent of people total in comparison to the Northern Clan. Seto knew it was because the Southern Clan wanted to break the power of the North, who seemed to believe they held a type of superiority over everyone.

Yoshinori had started this chaotic trend. He lusted for power and killed without mercy. Seto grimaced at this thought and at a bitter memory.

He himself had nearly been recruited to the Northern Clan after his parents had been killed and his little brother went missing. Now, he was all alone. The Southern Clan had fought off the Northern agents and took him with them.

Seto had been raised well and he returned the Clan by training and fighting for them. His story was well known by numerous members, and so many aspired to be like him.

_"But why?"_ he often asked himself. What was so great about his life?

His family was nonexistent, he lived alone in a huge, empty, lifeless house and only lived to work and go on missions. Seto sighed quietly and continued to scan over some mission scrolls and tried to decide which were more important and which to reject.

Maybe he should take retiring into consideration soon. But what good would that do? Then he'd be jailed here, alone, forever... But what did he have to live for? Fighting? That was it? His so-called job that earned him so much wealth and power he was sick of it and did not even stay in one place to savor such "joy" as most believe it to be?

These questions had been coming to mind so much more than usual lately, it was starting to concern him. He was starting to wish for a metamorphosis to occur in his life; a large, positive change. Something to forever solace him and make life enjoyable.

At this moment, his thoughts went to Anzu. Her wide blue eyes, her pretty smile, her form of humor that was sometimes sarcastic and sometimes comical. These things actually did provide some type of comfort to him. He felt less alone with her here.

She could hate his guts, but so long as she smiled, laughed, made her jokes and wise remarks: so long as she was herself, he would not perceive forlornness.

"Mr. Kaiba? Lunch is ready." Seto nodded and stood up. Well, it had been nice to have that long ponder. But, he still had so many questions.

_What do I do with my life?_

_Where should I go from here?_

_What does the future hold for me?_

_Is my life honestly the best it can be or is there something I can do to change it for the better?_

He walked to the dining area to find Anzu sitting at the table, waiting patiently for him. Seto sat across from her and the two were serves miso soup in red bowls and a plate of kare raisu. (1) Seto picked up his chopsticks and started on his kare raisu.

Anzu picked up her bowl of miso soup and ate it daintily. They were quiet and simply enjoyed their lunch.

The meal tasted delicious. Seto especially enjoyed the spicy kare raisu, but the miso soup was seasoned delectably. Seto placed his bowl down and a servant took it up for him. They were served green tea and sipped it.

"So, are you ready to go and get you some clothes?" Seto asked simply. Anzu looked up at him and nodded.

"Yes." They finished their tea and stood up.

"Do you want to change into your white kimono?" Seto asked.

"Yes. And are you changing?"

"I have some clothes in other rooms. You go and change."

"Fine." Anzu walked away. Seto went off to change into more appropriate clothes. He wore pants and a nice top. Then, he stood near the front door and waited for Anzu.

She came down in her white kimono, her hair sweeping around her shoulders. Seto nodded at her and they exited the house. Anzu shivered a little at the cold and Seto handed her a black michiyuki (2) with white dragons on it. Anzu stared.

"What's this?"

"You're cold, aren't you?" Anzu accepted it and draped it over her fair shoulders. She felt much warmer now. Seto ld her to a carriage and they climbed in. Anzu looked outside as they rode away from the manor.

Seto owned a good portion of land and farms, it was no wonder he was so wealthy. She could tell it was beautiful in warmer seasons. This made her smile a bit and look forward to spring.

The village was a short ride away. They stopped and Seto exited the carriage. He moved to the other side and offered a polite hand to Anzu. She accepted and allowed him to help her down.

This village reminded her of the one near her old home. It was humble and cute. Right now, snow fell gently in a powder. Snowflakes brushed her face like quick kisses and landed in her hair.

"Follow me." Seto traipsed down the path of the village market. There were stands everywhere, many selling various foods, steam mingling with the wind. Kids ran around as merchants called out the food.

"Yakitori!" (3) one merchant yelled. "Get some yakitori! Best yakitori in town!"

"Odon! Fresh odon!"

"Okonomoyaki! (4) Come and get it!" There was more than just food stands.

Some places sold pretty necklaces and trinkets. Others sold little toys for children. One was even selling fish. Seto looked around for a place with nice clothing for Anzu. So far, no luck.

At the end of the street, there was a stand run by a middle-aged merchant and it had a good amount of nice clothes. Seto took Anzu by her wrist and pulled her over to the stand. The man smiled.

"Good day, may I help you?"

"Yes. I need a new wardrobe for...my..."

"Friend?" Anzu offered, not sure what she should call herself either.

"Yes."

"Well, step right up. I have a fine selection of kimono and such." Anzu smiled and walked up. Seto sat back, waiting for her to find what she wanted.

Near the stand, there was a small, curtained area in which Anzu could try on the new kimono. She tried on at least fifteen and found ten she loved. One of them was a beautiful black and red kimono. It was ebony silk and has blood colored cherry blossoms sewn as a pattern.

Its elegance was beyond description and it flattered Anzu's body. She walked out of the changing area.

"Kaiba-san, what do you think?" she asked. He looked up at her and nodded.

"It's beautiful." He said it with simplicity and little emotion in his voice. But...something about the way he looked at her, something in his eyes made her feel like he was not being sarcastic. That she really did look beautiful.

Her face turned a little pink and she smiled.

"Thank you. Well, I love this one."

"That's the only kimono you want?" Seto asked.

"No, there were a few more."

"And what about sleep wear?" Seto asked.

"There is only regular kimono here. And they're all too nice to sleep in." Seto sighed and shook his head.

"Well, I suppose you'll have to put up with my yukata for a while. Do they at least sell obi here? You'll wear out the one you use right now if we don't find another."

"Already taken care of. And can I get some new shoes and tabi? (5)" Seto raised an eyebrow.

"Very well." Anzu smiled cutely at him. Seto sat and waited for her, enjoying her happiness. He liked seeing her smile, she looked even more beautiful.

Within half an hour, Anzu had all the clothes she wanted and some new shoes and such. Seto paid the merchant and walked away with Anzu.

"That was great! These kimono are even more beautiful than the ones I had at home."

"You'd be surprised what some of the artisans here are capable of." Anzu looked over at him.

"Do you have a lot of first-hand experience with the craftspeople here?" she asked.

"No, not really. I just know fine handwork when I see it. And I do know most businesses here are family run, and that normally ups the quality." He sighed. "However, this town does not make a lot of money. I buy some things here, but because I'm never home, I can't really invest in much."

"I'm surprised you care."

"Don't judge a bud before it blooms." Anzu blinked. She had never heard that phrase before. But, she liked it.

"Did you make that up?"

"I've read a lot of poetry over the past few years. Sometimes lines like that just come to me."

"So you like to read?"

"Very much so." By this time, they were back at the carriage. Seto helped Anzu in and they rode back toward the manor.

"Kaiba?"

"Yes?"

"Um...why did you buy me for so much?" she asked. Seto looked at her in surprise.

"What do you mean?"

"It's not like I was the prettiest girl there. And I don't think I was worth that much money." Seto smiled a bit.

"Well, let's just say I'm picky. And I could tell you were not just some prostitute. You looked like you had more...what's a good word? ...class. You were not just some dancer, you showed modesty, grace, and elegance. It wasn't some strip show to you, it was dancing."

"Actually, I just wanted it to end."

"You looked like you enjoyed dancing."

"Well...I guess." They came to the manor and walked inside. Anzu went to Seto's room, and hung her new clothes in the closet. Seto waited for her.

"What now?" he asked.

"Huh?"

"Are you planning on staying in the library? I don't want to send my entire staff to find you if you're just hiding out and reading."

"Well...I'm not too sure."

"Just let me know where you'll be so I can send a servant to fetch you for dinner." Anzu nodded.

"Can do." Seto walked away from her. She sighed and sat on the bed.

_What to do? What to do now?_

She looked out the window at the soft snow. Then she went to the library to read.

* * *

**Well, I hope you liked the update. It wasn't too exciting. I'm gonna use a little bit of timeskip in the next chapter. It'll be...maybe three days later, I want to say. Possibly five. We just have to get this story moving. I don't like how so much is happening in only two or three days. I love ideas, sometimes they inspire me so feel free to offer plot suggestions. I have a mild idea, but I dunno how I can build up to it. **

**I used some more traditional Japanese food and such in this chapter, so here's what some of it was for those of you who would like to know.**

**1. Kare Raisu - Curry Rice**

**2. Michiyuki - Overcoat**

**3. Yakitori - Grilled chicken pieces on skewers**

**4. Okonomoyaki - A mix between a pancake and pizza made from dough and often spread with sauce and has numerous types of toppings.**

**5. Tabi - Split-toed socks.**


	13. Hot Flashes

**Hello everyone! Well, I finally got rid of Word Perfect and I got Microsoft Word and I'm happy. It's much easier to work with. Well, it's 10 in the morning and it's a Saturday and I am bored out of my head so I'm starting an update. I hope I'll get more reviews this chapter. I can kinda understand getting less last chappie. It was a tad dry. Sorry. I hope this chappie is better.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh, meaning I don't own Anzu and Seto, so I don't want another lawyer at my door trying to sue my ass. THE SAME GOES FOR TAX COLLECTORS!

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**Chapter Thirteen**

_Hot Flashes_

A few days had passed. Anzu had never been tenser in her entire life. The snow was starting to melt, even though it was a few weeks off from spring. She laid in bed, pretending to sleep. Why?

Seto had just woken up and was getting ready for the day.

_"This is so wrong!"_ she kept telling herself. But the bet said she was not to sleep with him, there was nothing against her sneaking a peak at him when he was putting on his shirt. Damn, did his body have to be so _sexy_?

She wanted to run her hands over his muscled chest, feel every inch of his amazing torso. Lay kisses everywhere her hands moved and then start over again.

_"WAIT! What am I thinking? What do I __**want**__ from him?" _Anzu screamed inwardly and she shifted a little. Seto looked at her, but she still continued to fake sleep. Seto shrugged and went back to getting ready for the day. _"I will __**not**__ lose this bet."_

Seto was not wearing his normal clothes, she noticed. It was a darker outfit. Not a suit, but…like her ninja wear back when she was in the Clan. It was all black silk, fairly form fitting but not completely skin tight with a dark belt-type sash. He picked up a mask and Anzu had to resist sitting up without warning.

His blue eyes flew to her "sleeping" form and she squeezed her eyes shut. Seto loomed over her then sighed. He put his mask on and exited furtively. Anzu jumped awake, her hair in disarray and strands of it falling in her face.

What was that about? Why was he in his ninja gear? She had to find out.

Anzu put on a michiyuki sloppily and opened the window, shivering at the wind. A little warmth hit her from the effulgence of sunlight. Ignoring the ice, Anzu leapt out into a tree and gripped the branches desperately, praying she would not slip and fall.

After regaining her composure and sighing with relief, Anzu leapt down the branches and perched, squinting for Seto. He came out of the manor in a matter of moments, his servant next to him.

"Sir, you're just going to leave the young lady here alone?" he asked Seto, blinking. Seto nodded.

"This mission is critical, according to my message. She'll be fine. Knowing her, she'll be ardent to find out I won't be here for a few days."

"She's not that dauntless."

"What makes you say that?"

"Well, you are company for her."

"Hardly. I am usually working, and she is usually reading in my library. How will this be much different?"

"You'd be surprised at how close people come over distance." Seto stared and blinked behind the mask.

"That's…ironic."

"I know, but irony tends to happen quite often in daily life."

"Right. Well, I should go. I have a fairly long journey ahead."

"Just come back to us in one piece."

"Don't I always?" Seto asked before practically vanishing into the forest. The servant sighed a little.

"I do hope he'll be alright." With that, he reentered the manor. Anzu remained in the tree, staring after where Seto had just stood. That was it?

She climbed through the window and into the bedroom, glancing around coldly. He had just packed up and left? Not a word about it to her?

"That asshole!" she cried, punching the wall. "How **dare** he do that!"

"Miss Mazaki?" Anzu spun to see a maid looking at her in confusion. She felt her cheeks go red with embarrassment.

"Yes?" she mumbled.

"Um, I was just coming to make the bed."

"Right! Of course…" Anzu walked past her hastily and darted for the library so she'd have peace to think.

Slamming the door behind her, Anzu stared at the shelves. Sunlight shone through the elegant windows, casting shadows. She gazed, watching them grow, studying their form. With a sigh, Anzu collapsed into her usual chair, pushing back her haphazard hair. She desperately needed a comb.

But she did not want to deal with that maid. "What a fool" that girl probably thought. "Talking to herself, is she sane?"

Anzu looked out the window lazily and remembered what she had been talking to herself about in the first place. Seto Kaiba, that bastard. I mean, it's not like she **likes** him or anything, but the least he can do is tell her, "By the way, I have to leave for a few days, ok?" or something.

Even after reading four books, or trying to, Anzu could not stop thinking about Seto. Was she worried? Was she angry? Did she want to hug him when he came back and scold him for taking off? Did she want to slap him for leaving without warning?

Her thoughts continued in a contradictory pattern. It gave her a headache.

Giving up on her books, Anzu chose to retreat to the bedroom and at least fix her hair and put on some decent clothes. Luckily for her, the room was empty.

_"Well, I may as well take a bath. I have nothing better to do…"_ Anzu sauntered to the bath, thinking aimless thoughts. The hot water was a remote comfort.

She sighed and rubbed the soap in her hands then rubbed the suds along her body and dove into the hot water. Steam fogged the air. She could feel a little sweat forming from the heat.

All of a sudden, very _precarious_ thoughts filled her mind. She saw Seto, no shirt on, standing in the bath, staring upon _her_ naked body with passionate treachery. Her own body was growing aroused under his gape and she wanted to draw closer to him.

She saw him pulling her against him and claiming her lips with extreme roughness, his hands sliding along her bare skin. Her hands were traveling along his virile chest, stroking in a type of desperate frenzy.

Their lips parted and she moved to kiss his chest. They were both moaning and sweating from the heat of the steamy bath, their bodies pressed tight, minds clouded with lust and desire. Now, all she saw were silhouettes in the steam, moving together, exchanging more kisses and-

Anzu's eyes flew open and she gasped. She was still sitting alone in the bath. Panting, she touched her face and was sweating.

She was also slightly aroused from such a daydream. Gulping, she groped for a towel and got out of the water.

"I think the heat's getting to me…" she whispered, drying her body off, trying to ignore the slight ache between her legs from the desire that still clouded a part of her mind.

* * *

Another three days were gone. Seto was in a great lassitude. The mission had turned out to be more of a challenge than he thought. But that may be because his thoughts kept returning to Anzu.

He was on his way home. Hopefully, he'd be home by tomorrow morning. That is, if none of the followers of that Northern Clan samurai go after him. His mission had been to kill one of the powerful samurai, one of the technical generals of the North. Seto had managed to do so, but he had faced some frustrating obstacles along the way. The followers of the samurai continued to follow him to kill him.

Brainless idiots…

Seto went to get some ramen noodles as dinner. He snapped his chopsticks and began to eat, occasionally sipping his small shot of sake.

Although he had completed the mission, he had been sloppier. All he could think about was of Anzu: sitting at his manor, waiting for him.

How he wished she was here. Laying next to him in bed, her soft, warm figure. He liked so much about her.

The way her perfume oils smelled, the way sunlight and moonlight caught in her hair, the way she smiled. He loved all of those things.

Well, love is a strong word. She is not something to love. Anzu is just something to like, to enjoy. But, his heart doubted those words.

Seto ate more of his ramen and paid the chef. He continued to think.

The past few days, his thoughts of her were more extreme. He remembered their little fight from a while back.

Now, he was starting to think back of what position they had fallen into. He licked his dry lips and swallowed heavily, scolding himself for even thinking something like that. He knew it was bad to just think of wanting to bed Anzu.

However, he couldn't deny how much he desired her. Seto wanted to claim her, more than any other woman he had met.

She was spunky, clever, beautiful, and brave. Her complete, inexorable nature to just sleep with him was something he could not help but be charmed by. What he wouldn't give to have her as his own.

But, now, he was starting to doubt he'd win their bet. She was stubborn, like him. There might be a little attraction to him, but not enough to allow her to give herself completely.

Despite this, Seto desperately wanted to see her. Frowning in determination, he took off, causing villagers to stare at him as he passed in confusion. He could sleep tomorrow.

Right now, he was more concerned with getting himself back to the manor to see her. She could slap him, execrate him, it didn't matter. Just seeing her would pacify him. In fact, her anger was pretty much imminent. And, for whatever reason, that did not bother him in the least.

So, he ran into the darkness, running to return home for the first time in a long, long time. Because, now, he felt there was something to go home to.

* * *

A soft creaking noise awoke Anzu. She sat up and rubbed her eyes groggily. Seto froze when he saw he had woken her by closing the window.

"Kaiba?" Anzu asked in a slightly stupor.

_"Shit!"_ he thought. After a few moments, she was wide awake and staring at him. The room was still dark, but there was a little light coming off the horizon. She could see his eyes shining out a bit and a few of his facial features.

"You…what are you _**doing**_?" she shrieked. Seto covered her mouth with his hand.

"Will you keep it down?" he hissed. "I wanted to keep it down so the whole staff wouldn't wake up. I'm too tired to deal with everyone at one." He sighed and rubbed his eyes. They were a little sore from so little sleep over the course of the past few days.

Anzu stared at him and tried to ignore the odd flutter of her heart from the touch of his warm hand over her mouth. She moved his fingers from her lips with a slight fierceness.

"Fine! But would you mind explaining why you took off without notification?" she snapped. Seto eyed her curiously.

"Why? Were you worried?" he asked frivolously. Anzu narrowed her eyes, not catching onto the fact that he was kidding.

"Maybe I was!" she growled. "Lord knows where you were! You can at least let me know you were going away for a few days."

"Well, sorry, Miss Mazaki."

"Don't you 'Miss Mazaki' me!" Seto was growing a bit annoyed by her attitude.

"Would you calm down? I'm back and I'm fine." He turned to get something else to wear verses his dirty uniform.

"No!"

"What do you mean no?" Seto asked, glaring over his shoulder. Anzu crossed her arms, lips pursed into a frown.

"You heard me, no." He walked over to her.

"What do you want from me?" he snarled.

"Common courtesy!"

"I beg your pardon?"

"When you ran off, I freak out! I thought you were kidnapped or something." Ok, that was a lie. But she couldn't very well tell him she had spied and found out that he had gone on some mission. Seto sighed.

"Honestly, how pathetic do you think I am? Just ask the servants. They know I go off for a few days on missions once in a while."

"Well, excuse me! I don't know this."

"Now you do."

"You son of a-" Seto caught her hands, now equally riled up by her petulant behavior. But the minute he gripped her small hands, something stirred up inside of him. A familiar yearning for her: the one that had been distracting him on his mission.

She stared up at him and, before she knew it, they were attached by their lips, his arms around her waist, one her hands on his neck, the other buried in soft, silky hair. Dizzy from want, she faintly wondered if this was another dream, or if she was really there.

When his tongue moved against hers, Anzu's knees gave out. Seto caught her and laid them down on the bed with a surprising amount of grace. She felt a moan escape her throat and he groaned, exciting her further.

Seto kissed her for as long as humanly possible. Then, he started to pull back, taking a much needed breath. Anzu felt him pull back and she whimpered in protest, pulling him closer to him, not wanting to lose him.

Something about this, the sparks that danced when they touched, the seduction of his kiss, felt so right.

"Don't stop…" she whispered in his ear, ignoring the small warnings in the back of her mind to stop this. She wanted this too much.

Seto's hot lips trailed along her jaw back to her mouth, kissing her in a desperate need to assuage them both. Her hands moved over him, struggling to get his clothes off.

She moaned a little in satisfaction when she felt the black silk slide off of him. Her graceful fingers stroked his shockingly soft skin, teasing him, awakening every nerve ending. Seto gasped a little with every breath he took.

"No fair…" he groaned into her ear before sliding off her kimono and kissing her bare shoulder. She shut her eyes in pure bliss when his hands moved over her naked body, removing every last trace of clothing in their path until they were both exposed.

She looked at him in the new light of the rising sun. He was amazing. Seto kissed her neck, her shoulders, his hands moving over her ample breasts. Her nipples grew tight and hard at the feeling of his hands. His lips moved a past her collar bone, but then they heard a knock.

"Hello? Miss Mazaki?" a voice asked. Seto growled a little, annoyed by the interruption. Anzu panted, her hazed thoughts starting to reform into something coherent. Finally, they both snapped out of stupor of desire.

Seto moved quickly. He grabbed some clothes and quickly changed before Anzu could even slide on her kimono. He was done in time to hear another knock.

"Miss Mazaki?" the voice asked again. Seto looked at her. The kimono was sloppily put on, still exposing some of her chest, but Anzu covered herself with the blanket. He smoothed his hair quickly and opened the door.

"You woke us up…" Seto growled to the servant. He stared.

"Mr. Kaiba! You're back!"

"Yes. But I am very tired. So, if you please, leave us until later."

"Oh, y-yes sir. Forgive me, I thought I heard a noise and I wanted to know if Miss Mazaki was alright."

"She's fine." And, with that, Seto shut the door and sighed. Anzu stared at him, wondering what he would do or say next.

"What we just did…do you want to forget about it and move on?" Seto sighed, running a hand through his hair. Anzu blinked.

"Um…alright…" she answered in a tone quieter than she had wanted. What was the matter with her?

"Ok." Seto crawled into the bed. "Now, I'm going to try and get at least an hour of sleep." And, with that, he rolled to his side and did not look at her again. Anzu scowled.

That was it?

_"What were you expecting?"_

What **was** she expecting? She had nearly lost their bet on a simple hot flash of desire! Had that servant not come, what would have happened between the two? Would she have willingly offered her body to him, allow him to totally and completely claim her?

His kisses were still burned in her skin. She actually longed for more. His taste still lingered in her mouth, his sweet scent, his hands on her body all remained.

Trying to get back to sleep, all she could do was relive the memory and want to relapse it again and again. Eventually, her eyelids grew heavy and she fell into a slumber again.

* * *

**YES! Oh my god, YES! I've been dying to write this moment. I did not want to make a huge deal of Seto leaving for the mission; I just wanted it in there to skip more time. So, now, it's been about a week since he bought Anzu, maybe a day or two longer. **

**Sorry if this chapter seemed like it all just happened too fast. I just wanted them to have a major moment where they cave into desire to show you that, hell yes, they want each other.**

**No flames. At least ten reviews for the next chapter. I think this chapter was ok and it seems like it's worthy of ten reviews, don't you? I wanna feel loved, please! **


	14. Gossip Spreads Like Wildfire

**I have returned to you all. Now I can take my fanfics to school with me and work on them. IT'S LIKE CHRISTMAS AND ARBOR DAY ALL IN ONE!!!**

**Seto: Um…what does Arbor Day have to do with Christmas?**

**NQ/Kay: …shut up. I don't know.**

**Anzu: Don't you mean "It's like Christmas and DDR all in one"?**

**Kay: …GENIUS!**

**Seto: Kay aka Nintendo Queen does not own Yugioh because she is not worthy.**

**Kay: WHAT WAS THAT?**

**Seto: Nothing.

* * *

**

**Chapter Fourteen**

_Gossip Spreads like Wildfire_

Two maids peeked around the corner and into the dining room. Anzu and Seto were sitting across the table, eating their lunch: pot stickers and rice. They were dead silent. It was a tense, almost creepy silence between the two polar individuals.

Seto had woken up a little more than an hour before and Anzu had retreated to a library for most of the morning. And the manor had never felt this overwrought or taciturn. Nobody understood what was going and were too afraid ask.

One of the maids backed up. She was a cute, short young lady who looked like she was only fifteen, when she was actually twenty-one. Her short, dark hair had a violet sheen to it and her eyes were a beautiful shade of gray. Because of her eyes, she was named Tsuki.

Her friend looked more mature than her but still had a young air around her. She kept her dark blue hair in a long braid and her eyes were violet. Her name was Himitsu. Both girls had porcelain skin, were the same age, and the same basic height and body type. Not only that, they were best friends and two of the biggest gossips in the manor.

"What's going on with those two?" Tsuki whispered. Himitsu shrugged.

"I don't know. But I heard Master Kaiba tried to jump her bones last night."

"Really?" Tsuki gasped her eyes wide with interest. Himitsu nodded wisely.

"Oh yes."

"Well, everyone _**knows**_ there's more than a little attraction between them. But I heard they bet on their desires."

"What do you mean?" Himitsu questioned, blinking.

"Oh, it was back when Miss Mazaki came here. See, he bet her that she desires him, even though she won't admit to it, and gives her three weeks to cave and sleep with him or else she gets her own room and he has nothing to do with her."

"She is so damn luck!" Himitsu shrieked. "I'd lose that bet in two seconds if I were in her shoes." Tsuki giggled.

"Yeah, me too."

"OK, so they have a bet. How long has it been?" Tsuki looked thoughtful.

"I wanna say a week and two days so far."

"Wow, time goes by so fast."

"Indeed."

"And last night, when Master Kaiba came home, they?"

"No, they didn't do it **all** the way." Tsuki blinked in confusion.

"Ok, you're going to have to elaborate on this one. I'm honestly lost and confused."

"See, Master Kaiba came home and I think he and Miss Mazaki had a steamy little moment going for them. But he did not actually…_ahem_. Yeah."

"Oh, I get your drift."

"I think one of the servants heard them and thought something was wrong and interrupted them."

"Wow, I'll bet Master Kaiba was _**really**_ mad."

"You and me both." Tsuki pursed her lips.

"So…where does this leave them?"

"I'm sure Miss Mazaki is angry with herself for engaging in such activity with him because she bet that she would not give into. And Lord knows what Master Seto is thinking."

"Well, are we the only ones who know?"

"Pretty much."

"Hm." At that moment, another servant who had been passing by has listened to the two maids. He went off to the village to buy some fresh fish and vegetables as well as greet his brother.

"Hello nii-sama, how are things at the manor?" his little brother asked.

"Very interesting. I heard Kaiba-sama and the young lady have done it."

"_**Really**_? Well I'll be. Lord Kaiba has gone and gotten laid!"

"Um, that's not really something extremely new."

"But it's the only interesting news I've heard around here in a while."

"That's true. Well, I should get this food back to the manor."

"Alright! Come back to visit soon."

"Can do." He walked away.

The day passed by uneventfully. When the sun rose, Anzu got dressed and walked to the village for a change of scenery. As she passed, some of the people stopped and looked at her. She frowned but tried to ignore them.

Numerous people stopped and started to whisper the minute they saw her. She grew more and more irritated by this as she continued to walk.

"_Just ignore them, Anzu. Ignore them…"_ she thought to herself, trying to ignore the throbbing vein in her head.

But, after another few minutes, a woman started whispering to her friend and shooting her dirty looked. The word _whore_ floated in the air and hit Anzu's ear. She spun around angrily, a scowl on her pretty face.

"What's your problem?" she screeched. The woman looked shocked.

"Excuse me?"

"I heard you call me a whore and you keep shooting me dirty looks!"

"I did no such thing!"

"Oh yeah? If you have some kind of problem with me I prefer you say it to my face." The woman's round face started to turn red.

"C'mon, Hoshiko." She walked away, her friend following her. Anzu narrowed her eyes and looked around at an on looking man. She grabbed him by the collar of his shirt.

"Mind explaining what the hell is going on?" she snapped.

"I-I don't know."

"Liar! Tell me what you know…_**now**_."

"O-ok, ok! Just don't hurt me!" Anzu glared at him, waiting for him to start telling her what exactly was going on.

* * *

"KAIBA!" Anzu yelled, storming to his office. He looked up at her. 

"What is it?" he asked, not sure what on Earth he could have done to deserve her rage today.

"Did _**you**_ tell EVERYONE about what happened between us?" she shrieked. Seto blinked, completely lost.

"Excuse me?" he asked, totally baffled.

"I was called a whore today by some woman I didn't even know! And then I asked a guy what was going on, and he said the whole village was talking about how I slept with you!"

"WHAT? Where did they hear something like that?" Seto yelled, jumping to his feet. Anzu was a little surprised by his reaction.

"So you didn't tell anyone about what happened?"

"No! I don't go around and blab about my sex life!"

"We didn't even have sex!" she snapped.

"I know that!" he retorted.

"Good. Now what are we going to do about this?"

"Find the source and kill it…" Seto mumbled darkly. "Come on!" He pulled Anzu out of his office. Nearby, Tsuki and Himitsu were watching. They exchanged nervous glances.

"Someone must have overheard us and started gossiping!" Tsuki squeaked.

"What do we do?" Himitsu whispered.

"I don't know." Slinking away, the two maids worriedly wondered if this was their last day on Earth.

However, to their luck, Anzu and Seto were unable to get far in their search to find the beginning of the rumor. They came back, angry and bitter. But at least it wasn't awkward between them anymore.

"Maybe that rumor was a good thing."

"Why do you say that, Tsuki?" Himitsu asked. The two maids were getting ready for bed. Tsuki combed through her short hair and looked thoughtful.

"Master Kaiba and Miss Mazaki stopped being so quiet. It's nice to hear them at least talking again."

"Yes, I suppose you're right. But if we get the blame for this, we're as good as dead."

"I know." Himitsu shook her head and blew out the candle.

Seto was grumbling angrily to himself as he got dressed for the night. Anzu sighed and glared.

"Are you going to talk to yourself all night?" she asked.

"I'm pissed, ok?"

"Why? About a stupid rumor?"

"YES! If the damned clan hears about this, those assholes are not gonna get off my back for some time. It pisses me off. They want to know every god damn detail. 'How big were they? Was it anal?' and all that shit. That's why I bring earplugs whenever I'm near those bastards."

"Damn, sounds like you hate being a part of your clan."

"I hate some of the idiots in it. And it gives me money to live a good life so I stick with it."

"Yeah."

"Why did you join your clan?"

"What?" Seto rolled his eyes.

"Why. Did. You. Join. The. North. Clan?" he asked slowly.

"Oh…um, let's just say I was born into it."

"I see."

"I'm tired." She crawled into bed to avoid any further questions from him. "Good night."

"Good night." Anzu closed her eyes and sighed a little.

_What comes next?

* * *

_

**Well, this chapter was not really important, but I really wanted to update because you all were so sweet. You gave me 20 reviews for the last chappie.**

**And this time, I want 100 reviews before I update! …nah, I'm kidding. I mean, I'd love 100, but 10 will suit me just fine.**

**I got a question from an anonymous review. It was about photobucket, and it was my cover for this fic. Yes, I am NintendoQueen on photobucket so, you know, just gonna clarify if you were curious. Um, I think that's all.**

**Oh yeah, I was asked in a review to "Seeking Stability" if I'm continuing this fic. Of course! I'd rather jump off a cliff than give up on this fic. It's one of my personal favorites. Okies, please review, no flaming. Ideas welcome!**

**And Himitsu and Tsuki, just so you know, are not protagonists or antagonists. They're minor characters so I prefer no questions about them. They'll appear once in a while when I need them, but otherwise they're of little importance. They're major minor characters, so to speak.**


	15. Another Mission?

**Heyo people, I'm back! And it's time for SPRING BREAK! WHOO-HOO! Unfortunately, my Grandpa is still in the hospital and it's been two weeks…and I dunno when he's coming home. Please pray for him to come home soon.**

**Oh yeah, one more thing before the disclaimer… I'VE HIT 200 REVIEWS! Thank you guys for reviewing!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh or any of the characters. If I did, I would never worry about rabid lawyers or postal service. Don't ask me how that makes sense. **

**Chapter Fifteen**

_Another Mission? You're not leaving Me Behind, Kaiba!_

Anzu stood outside, watching the snow fall lightly. The gardens were huge so she decided to saunter around. The sky was gray and snowflakes fluttered around her. She knew winter would end in a few weeks, but it felt like it may be a late winter with all the snow.

She wondered faintly how the clan was doing without her. Not that she cared, but she _**was **_curious. I mean, no black clad ninja have been caught around the area trying to slit her throat for running away. The fact that they were not pursuing her made her feel a little more uneasy.

Continuing down through the gardens, she looked at the dark, bare remains of plants. They were curled up, trying to stay protected from the cold. Once the warm weather drew around, the branches would uncurl and bloom.

Closing her eyes as she treaded through the snow, Anzu imagined the cherry blossom petals floating in the wind on a warm spring day. The green grass and flowers leaving their sweet scent on the air. How she loved springtime. It was her favorite season of the year.

A cold wind knocked her to her senses and she sighed a little.

"When will spring finally come?" she asked quietly before turning and walking to the manor. She removed her michiyuki and handed it off to one of the servants. It was cold so she decided to take a nice, long, hot bath.

Anzu sank into the water and sighed happily. There is nothing better to calm the soul than a soak in an herbal bath. It was also good for the skin, so that was a bonus. She took the sponge and cleaned herself, humming a song quietly.

The door to the room opened and she shrieked and covered her breasts with her hands.

"_**What**_ are you doing here?" she yelled. Seto stood there, looking away from her distractedly. 

"Sorry. But I got a call for another mission and you told me to tell you whenever I inhale and exhale so I assumed you wanted to know." She stood up, snatched a towel, and wrapped it around her waist.

"Hold on! You just got back not to long ago and now you're leaving again?"

"Isn't life funny? You'll not have to put up with me for another few days."

"No."

"What do you mean 'no?'" he asked, staring at her before quickly looking away, blushing. That towel was too short, showing off too much leg.

"I'm going." 

"Excuse me?" he asked dryly. She put a hand on her hip.

"The last thing I need is the guy who's paying me to die on me."

"You've _**got**_ to be kidding. I won't die."

"Well, I can't take that chance."

"You know, if **you** die, you won't get paid at all."

"Do you know who I am?"

"I should be asking you that."

"Either you take me with you or I'll be gone before you come back." Seto glared at her, no longer caring about the towel. This girl was impossible!

"You are out of your mind."

"So what if I am? I want to go."

"No!"

"Then I'll run away."

"If you do, I'll hunt you down and drag you back, kicking and screaming, if I have to!"

"I'll leave Japan! Think you can catch me after that?" she shot back, grinning in triumph. Seto narrowed his eyes.

"You'd get in the way. Besides, I can't see one good reason why you should go."

"To save your neck if they try to kill you."

"I was being stalked after my last mission and they **still** couldn't kill me. What makes you think that this time will be any different?"

"Call it my instincts." Unbelievable! Seto had to clench his fists to keep from wringing her lovely neck. 

"Are you **that** worried about me?" he snapped, meaning it to be sarcastic. But her blush immediately caught his attention.

"Of course not! Why would I worry about **you**?" she snapped, turning away from him. Seto smirked. He could poke fun at her until she gave up the idea. Perfect!

"You're worried I'm going to get hurt. It's either that or you'll miss me."

"That is complete and utter ludicrous! Well, in truth I AM worried: worried that the guy who's paying me will die."

"Make up all the excuses you want, but I can see it in your eyes that you're lying."

"If you think that saying this stuff is gonna make me back down, you're sadly mistaken." He rolled his eyes.

"I'm just pointing out the facts."

"What facts?"

"About why you want to go."

"Well, they're all fiction. I told you my reasons, now you're just going to have to put up and shut up."

"Whatever. Now, go and put some clothes on."

"Only if you promise I can go."

"Do you intend to strut around naked until I leave without you?" he teased. She glared.

"You pervert!" she snapped. Seto smacked his forehead.

"For the love of...I was kidding!" 

"Still!" He massaged his temples. What hell would he be in if he allowed her to journey with him? Ugh…he was anxious just thinking about it.

"Go and get dressed." He repeated, walking out of the room. Anzu watched him go and narrowed her eyes briefly before leaving to dress.

* * *

_Bang!_

Seto stiffened and spun around to glare at the servant who dropped a box with supplies. This mission was a fairly large distance away, so Seto had to journey part of the way with a carriage to a base of the Southern Clan. 

"What the hell are you doing?" he hissed. "Are you **trying** to wake up the entire manor?"

"S-sorry, sir." The servant collected the box and scurried to the carriage. Seto squinted. He could barely see in the darkness of the morning. The sun had yet to rise, but he couldn't risk little Miss Anzu sneaking on board of this mission.

Their quarreling would more than likely be the death of him: literally. As for her, those blasted Northern Clan ninja would probably take her back to Yoshinori or kill her or something of the sort. He shook his head and rubbed his eyes. 

Tonight he had possibly gotten one hour of sleep, maybe two. Oh well, he could sleep on the ride to the base. His transportation would be well disguised so he was not assaulted. Some ninja Seto hired were also hiding nearby for protection.

The battle he was to assist in was a greater one. It was like a silent war in the trees and shadows between the deadliest assassins. Lately, the war between the clans had gotten bloodier. It made him cringe a little.

"Sir, we've loaded the supplies."

"Thank you. I'll probably return within a week or two."

"And the lady? What of your bet with her, sir?"

"How do you know about that?" Seto asked dangerously. The servant gulped and learned at that moment: silence was the best thing right now. "Let her win the bet. I can't pass out on this mission."

"Sir-"

"Please, let me be on my way. I have to journey there in one day so we can fight and defeat that Northern scum." The servant bowed respectfully.

"We will pray for your safe return." Seto jumped into the carriage and it took off. He yawned and relaxed in the seat. A small noise next to him was the only thing that prevented him from falling asleep.

A small _thud_ was the noise that kept him awake. He looked to see Anzu sitting there, fixing her hair, looking mildly flustered.

He assumed for a moment that his tired stupor was causing him to hallucinate. But after rubbing his eyes and staring, he realized that she was actually sitting there.

"What are you doing?" he asked. She looked at him.

"I told you you're not going without me." He was wide awake now. Seto sat up and looked at her, not sure how to react. Should he be screaming his head off at her? Should he just gape at her in shock? So many conflicting emotions…

He chose to try and remain calm.

"How did you-"

"Know that you would try to sneak away while I was sleeping? Please, I'm not stupid. And I was a top member of the Northern Clan. I must say, that was a very amateur attempt to sneak away. You should have tried locking me in a room or something." Seto groaned.

"Anzu, you have to go back."

"I don't think so! I missed a night of beauty sleep just to make sure I would not get left behind." Seto couldn't help but smile a little at her statement. Then he grew serious.

"You are very lucky that it would be too much of a hassle to turn around and take you back." Anzu grinned.

"I figured as much. Why do you think I hopped in here right away? I would have hid back there if I thought you'd turn around and go back to the manor."

God! He could not help but love how clever this girl was. She was one step ahead of even _**him**_. That only proved that she was not a force to be trifled with.

"You're always on top of things, aren't you?" he asked in amusement.

"Hey, I'm a girl. We've got some strong instincts."

"Yeah, I can see that."

"So, what is this mission anyway?"

"It's a battle against the Northern Clan. It's going to be pretty dangerous, so I am begging you to keep away. The last thing we need is those idiots kidnapping you or trying to chop your head off." Anzu started to nod and then stopped and looked at him in concern. 

"Wait, why are we traveling in a carriage? Won't we get assaulted?"

"It's a long trop so I need the carriage to hold my supplies, and I hired some ninja to attack anyone who tries to assault us."

"Well, it seems you're on top of everything as well."

"Everything except the surprise sitting next to me." She smirked. 

"I'm too much for you to handle, aren't I?"

"You have no idea…" he mumbled. She raised an eyebrow.

"What was that?" she asked silkily. 

"Nothing." She shook her head, the smirk on her lips growing.

"You're a terrible liar." Seto yawned and moved his bangs out of his eyes. 

"It's because I'm so tired." Her expression softened a bit.

"Then let's get some sleep." It was then he noticed how her eyes were half lidded and had that lack of shine that indicated being fully energized. Tried as she may to hide it, she was about as close to passing out from tiredness as he was. 

He nodded and lay back in the comfortable seats. When he was half asleep, he felt something soft and warm on his shoulder. He looked groggily at Anzu, who was leaned to the side, resting her pretty head on his shoulder.

He smiled a little and moved an arm around her. She snuggled closer to him and he started to drift off. The last thing he remembered was rested his head on hers before blacking out into his dreams.

* * *

**Aleh! I have updated! Well, I'd love some reviews. **

**I'm really stressed now so I do not want anything negative. That's not the least bit helpful. I'll try to update soon, but please be patient because I don't know what I can or will. **

**10 reviews for an update.**


	16. Upon Arrival

**YAY! Reviews make me happy. And I got my ten so I'm good to go. Thanks for reviewing and I hope you enjoy the upcoming chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh. Meaning I don't own Anzu or Seto. BUT, I own Yugioh DVDs so…yeah. Heck yeah. **

* * *

**Chapter Sixteen**

_Upon Arrival_

"Mr. Kaiba." Seto groaned a little, not wanting to open his eyes. He had been enjoying his sleep. Someone began to shake his arm. "Mr. Kaiba! Please, wake up sir." He finally gave up and opened his eyes.

"What?" he growled. Anzu stirred next to him but she did not wake. The man who had been steering the carriage was standing in front of Seto.

"Forgive me, but we have arrived at our destination. I have made reservations for you and the young lady at the inn." Seto allowed himself to yawn and stretch a little.

"And the ninja I've hired?"

"They, too, are staying at the inn. I hope it's alright, but I told them to go and rest."

"They've earned it I suppose. We did not get ambushed once. Any counted dead?"

"No. Two were injured by passing assassins, but none dead."

"I'm amazed. Very well. I'll take her; you take our luggage to our room." The man smiled.

"Already done." Seto reached into a small sack and paid the man some yen.

"Good work." He bowed.

"Thank you, Mr. Kaiba." The man crawled out of the carriage and handed Seto a key with a number on it. "Here is your room key."

"Thank you." The man bowed once more. Seto looked at Anzu's sleeping form and picked her up bridal style then hopped out of the carriage. He watched the man take the horses to the stables and park the carriage near the inn.

Seto carried Anzu through the inn to their room. It was very large and fancy with two beds, nice furniture, and beautiful interior design. He set her down on the bed and slightly brushed her hair from her face.

He walked away from her and out onto the balcony included in their beautiful room. The morning air was brisk and cool. He smelled the impending threat of rain on the wind.

It was still fairly dark, despite the rising sun. His balcony was over the gardens of the inn. It was a pretty, well-kept garden with flowers. Some were blooming early as winter melted away, the others were hidden.

No more snow was on the ground today: just a little slush in small patches, but if the temperature chose to drop again, snow might fall once more. The breeze teased his hair and he wondered faintly how his comrades were faring. The war between the two clans had begun three nights ago. It was kept in a small area to control unnecessary deaths of innocent bystanders (this was South's idea, obviously) but it was still bloody.

Seto made a face. He was tired of this constant war. But unless it was fed with the blood of assassins and ninja from both sides, the North would go on a killing spree in towns and villages in search of the hidden South members.

Returning to the room, he unsheathed his katana and polished its cold blade. A blade that had been the very last sights of many a victim. Yes…

Beautifully crafted by a top swords master, he had passed it to Seto on his deathbed. The handle was blue and gold with dragons carved on it and some jewels embedded for the eyes and flaring nostrils.

Although it was an instrument of death, Seto valued the katana greatly. The swords master who had crafted it had been his mentor and a father-like figure to him. The memory continued to pain him. He remembered it so well. A small cough, a fever, the old, frail, beloved figure no longer able to move, his eyes blinking slowly, then closing forever…

He banged his fist on the ground and threw the sword aside, unable to bear looking at it anymore. Anzu's eyes fluttered open and she sat awake, staring at him groggily.

"What's going on?" she asked. Seto shook his head.

"Nothing." He picked up the katana and replaced it in its sheathe. "Forgive me, I did not mean to wake you."

"That katana is beautiful." Seto stopped and looked at her. Then he looked back at the sword's sheathe in his hand.

"Yes…"

"Did you make it?" she asked. Seto laughed weakly.

"No, no I did not. My mentor did."

"Your mentor?"

"When I was first recruited to the Southern clan, one of the greatest sword masters in Japan took me under his wing - Shigekazu. He was elderly but powerful and wise." Seto pulled part of the katana from the sheathe and stared at his reflection in the blade. "Shigekazu otou-san really was like my father. He cared for me, taught me almost all I know. But..." Seto tightened his grip.

"But?" Anzu asked.

"He died…seven years after taking me in. By then, I was sixteen and old enough to fend for myself. But it hurt either way!" Anzu stood up and walked over to Seto, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry…"

"It's not your fault…"

"But still."

"That's twice I've lost a father." Seto laughed bitterly. "It seems I'm not meant to have any family."

"Twice?"

"My parents – my birth parents, they were killed in a Northern clan raid when I was nine. And my younger brother, Mokuba, has also been missing. I don't know whether he died or was abducted."

"…do you have any good memories with your family?"

"A few, why?" Anzu sat next to him.

"I never even knew my family. When I was an infant, the clan came and killed my mother and my older brother to get revenge on my father for leaving. They took me as payment and left my father to commit suicide." Seto grimaced.

"That is contemptible…" he mumbled. Anzu nodded.

"Yeah, and they tried to keep it a secret from me. They told me I was left out in the cold and they adopted me to save my life."

"That's the only reason you joined them?"

"Yes. Until I found a scroll that told me the date and the sins they committed against my kin." Seto took Anzu in his arms and hugged her.

"I'm sorry..." She closed her eyes and laced her arms around his neck, pulling closer to him.

"It's not your fault…" she whispered. He stroked her hair.

"But still." It felt so right to be there, melting in his arms. Anzu felt warmth in her heart. Why did he have to make her feel this way?

His warm, strong arms were so much comfort to her. Being with him was starting to cleanse away some of the pain from all the lies and deceit she had been forced to tolerate for so many years.

Moisture welled up behind her eyelids. Tears caught into her long lashes and flowed slowly down her face. She opened her eyes which shone with tears. Seto moved a hand to her face and wiped the tears away.

He looked at her. She seemed so vulnerable…but he also felt like he was in a weak position too. Although tears weren't running down his face, he remembered the pain of his life and realized that he and Anzu shared this pain.

She had lost her family. He had lost loved ones twice. She had dealt with lies and deceit for most of her life.

Cradling her face in his hands, he reluctantly moved closer. Her hands rested on each side of his face and she moved a little closer to him. His lips brushed hers once and then he kissed her fully on the lips.

It was slow and chaste. Anzu relaxed into the kiss, enjoying it. He did not push her into going any further, seeming content with the unhurried pace.

And then, as god would have it, a sharp tap was heard at the door. Seto pulled back from her, sighing a little. He stood up and answered the door. An innkeeper stood there, holding a scroll.

"This arrived for you, sir." Seto accepted it.

"Thank you." The innkeeper bowed before walking away. Seto looked at the scroll.

"What is that?" Anzu asked.

"I'm not sure." He opened it up and read it.

"Hmm…"

* * *

**And, CLIFFIE! But I gave you some pretty good moments in this one so don't get too mad at me. Although I'm sure you are tired of the continuous interruptions whenever they kiss and do, ahem, OTHER things. **

**Well, review me please!**


	17. Fighting in the Fields

**Hooray! I am back and I have brought you an update! Um…I'm tired and I don't know what else to say other than thank you for the 18 reviews last chappie! I was happy to hear all your reviews. So now, I think we all know the word...ONWARD!**

**Disclaimer: …do I still need to say it? …fine. Ahem, I do not own Yugioh so I don't own Anzu and Seto…unfortunately…**

--

**Chapter Seventeen**

_Fighting in the Fields_

Seto opened the scroll and scanned it. Anzu stood there, arms crossed, lines in a small little line.

"…well? What does it say?" she asked. Seto rolled up the scroll and sighed. Anzu looked at him expectantly, wanting an answer.

"I am being called to battle." Anzu stared.

"What?" Seto crumpled the scroll.

"I have to go now. Apparently, my clan's ninja are so far outnumbered; they need me to leave for the battlefield tonight." Anzu felt her jaw drop.

"You have to leave **now**?" she cried. Seto nodded; a strained look on his face. "But why? If you all are outnumbered, just withdraw! You can get back-up and finish the job later!"

"It's not that simple, Anzu."

"Why?" she demanded.

"We cannot leave. If we all try to leave, our enemy will kill us. In case you've forgotten, the North Clan is merciless and bloodthirsty." Anzu grimaced at the memories.

"But why do you have to go?" Seto rolled his eyes a little and walked across the room to retrieve his black silk along with some armor he had brought.

"It's simple; I am one of the strongest assassins in the entire clan, Anzu. I have killed twenty men in the duration of a few minutes with only one small scratch on my left arm. Why else would I go?"

"But I don't want you to go!" He removed his shirt, his back facing her, and slid the black silk over his head, brushing it off dismissively. Anzu scowled at his silence. "What, you're not going to say anything?"

"What is there to say?" he asked with a sigh before putting on some armor over his breast and strapping his katana to his hip.

"I don't know!" She threw her arm up. "Just anything!"

"Fine, 'anything.'" She narrowed her eyes.

"Oh, you're hilarious." Seto put his coat on over the black silk and tied it tightly so it would not disturb him during the battle. He picked up a pouch with two kunai knives and placed it on the opposite hip of his katana.

"Alright." Anzu glared at him.

"You are such an ass, you know that?" she snapped.

"Why?" he asked, growing slightly irritated.

"You're just going to go ahead and leave."

"You're acting like a child, Anzu. Why don't you want me to leave?"

"Because I don't want you to die!" she snapped. "Happy?" This left Seto at a loss of words. He had no clue how to reply to that. Anzu turned away from him and sat on the bed they would share, resting her chin on her knees.

Seto's hands grew into tight fists. He took in a deep breath and looked at Anzu for a moment before looking down immediately.

"I won't die." And with that, he opened the door and left. Anzu glared at the doorway.

"Good riddance!" she yelled before hugging herself and falling into the sheets of the bed.

--

Seto ran towards the fields near the town. It was dark. The only light came from the yellow crescent moon and the twinkling little stars. He jumped up into the nearest tree and scanned the area.

A fellow Southern clan member jumped up behind Seto.

"Thank you for joining us, Master Seto."

"What is the count of deaths and injuries?" Seto asked.

"2 dead, 23 injured."

"And how many of the enemy is dead?"

"None."

"Injured?"

"We count at least 30." Seto glared.

"That is pathetic! I expect you all to do more damage! We cannot afford to deal with too large a blow. The North is getting too powerful as it is."

"I know sir. Please, we are doing our best." Seto sighed and shook his head.

"Pathetic…" he grumbled. "Why is there no fighting now?" he demanded. "This silence is disturbing."

"The North chased our men north-west of this location. I awaited your arrival."

"Well, we had better get moving." His company nodded casually and both men disappeared into the darkness, through the trees scattered in that field. It was their personal roadway to another field where the grass was red and bodies would possibly be littered, blooming as the flowers.

Seto paused and smelled the air.

"Blood…we're getting close." He grimaced slightly. From the thick, heavy smell, more injury and potential death had occurred since his informer had last seen battle.

They continued onward, the scent of scarlet-stained grass growing stronger with ever inch. Seto swallowed heavily, feeling his fingers twitch a little to try and relax. His knees would starts knocking together momentarily if he failed to get a grip.

Finally, he saw the battle. A rain of knives rained from trees, and other men were confronting each other in the middle of the field – blades in hand. The silver barely offered gleams in the dim lighting and the coating of ruby red liquid.

Seto recognized fellow Southern ninja and assassins. All of them wore the familiar, white clay masked with the trademark designs of the south painted on them. The masks offer a small mean of protection from attacks on the face. It was also a sign of pride for the clan.

The Northern Clan wore their familiar masks too. Whenever Seto saw those white, clay faces with those different marks, he longs to stab the face and make it crumble, along with whomever's face hid behind the mask.

"We're here…" Seto's guide nodded his head seriously.

"Yes, sir." Seto pulled out a kunai knife.

"Who is leading them?"

"A general, sir. We do not know his name, but I can point him out to you. He tends to hide behind his men and use them as human shields, a coward. He also wears the traditional armor of the higher Northern generals. He's-"

"There." Seto pointed his knife toward a tall man with some stubble on his chin, dark eyes, and dark hair in a long ponytail. He did, indeed, wear the red and gold armor of the high Northern generals.

Seto narrowed his cobalt eyes slightly, pursing his lips.

"I see. That armor will be difficult to penetrate. Killing him will be too difficult to do from a distance."

"Sir?"

"I'll have to move in, and soon. I am probably the only one capable of killing him."

"But, it's too dangerous!"

"You know it's my duty. I was called here to fight, and fight I will." With that, Seto pulled out his white clay mask and placed it over his face. He crept through the trees, dodging any misaimed shuriken or kunai knives.

He focused his gaze at the general.

If he could just get close enough to kill him, the battle would end.

He smirked somewhat egotistically behind the mask, not doubting his capabilities for a second. After all, he was Seto Kaiba. Being who he was, he was expected to perform missions such as these – kill the leader and end the fight!

Now, how to navigate the field. He kept an eye on the average of knives thrown to the field in comparison to those thrown for the trees. Luckily, the enemy was stupid and tried in vain to hit the ninja hiding out in the trees. This could serve as an advantage.

Those who fought in the field were occupied with each other. However, Seto knew he had to go carefully and be prepared to slaughter any man who got in his way.

Gently brushing his fingers to the handle of his katana, Seto leapt down to the field. He raced across the grass, dodging and weaving through the streams of men. He leaned back at the slashes of steel, narrowly avoiding having the clay nose of the mask hacked off.

He continued running, when a Northern ninja leapt in front of him – the corpse of a fellow Southern ninja behind him. Seto clenched his fist and wordlessly drew his katana.

Although Seto could not see his enemy's face, he could only imagine a smirk.

"En garde!" his opponent cried. Seto charged, slashing his blade. The ninja held up his own sword as a shield and pushed Seto back.

His shoes skidded in the dirt and brought him to a stop approximately five yards away from his original location. He dusted his silk clad shoulder and jumped up to continue jousting with this man.

After a while, Seto had stopped the ninja's blade from coming down on his head with one hand. The enemy had both his hands on the handle of his katana, and Seto had on shaky hand gripping _his_ katana, but just barely.

He reached into the pouch on his hip and drew a kunai. Quickly, he brought the knife into the chest of the enemy. With a violent gag followed by a shudder, the ninja froze.

Seto took this opportunity to free his blade and stab the ninja once more in the stomach. The man fell over with a small _thud_ in the grass. Seto sighed and wiped his sword on the grass before running off again.

He drew closer and closer to the general. Finally, he was close enough to prepare for his assault.

"_Just one shot, I have to make it count!"_ he thought fiercely, holding up the katana. Seto leapt up into the air, intending to slit the throat of the general.

He fell closer and slashed his right arm quickly, bringing the sword with it.

Blood splattered up in an unusually large amount and spread all over Seto. He stared in horror.

The general had nabbed a passing Northern ninja and had held him up as a shield to Seto's sword. Now the ninja hung limp and bloody in the general's large, Sasquatch hand.

Seto landed in front of the general, staring in disbelief. Said general smirked and tossed the dead man away. For whatever reason, generals failed to wear masks in battle.

"How…how could you do something like that to one of your own?" Seto asked, unable to get over what he had just done and seen.

"The job of these men is to protect me and kill you. Either way, it hardly matters to me." Seto shook his head.

"My hatred for your kind burns with such intensity; I cannot believe you still stand, living."

"You think you can kill me? You'd have to get through all my men, for they serve as my shield and sword."

"You sick coward." He chuckled.

"Call me what you will, but I will kill you and then we'll see who the coward is." Seto readied himself for attack.

"I don't think so!" He charged and the blades clashed.

--

Anzu lay in the bed, still awake. She stared at the wall. It was completely dark in the room and had a depressing feel to it. Her thoughts flew to Seto.

"_What's taking him so long to come back? I hope he's alright…" _She buried her face in the pillow, hardly bothering to scold herself for offering any concern towards Seto Kaiba. But it was too hard to deny her intense feelings of anxiety.

Suddenly, the door opened. She jumped up and lit a candle with uttermost quickness so she could see Seto's face when she blew her top at him.

"There you are!" she yelled. He was standing in the doorway; his mask still dawned on his face. Seto had wiped the blood off his mask, and it was too hard to see the stains on his dark clothes. "Do you have any idea how worried I was? I thought they killed you!" she snapped.

He walked into the room dizzily and removed the mask. She looked at his back, her hands on her hips.

"Do you have anything to say for yourself?" she snapped. He dropped his coat on the floor and looked at himself in a mirror hanging on the wall.

His left hand gently patted his stomach and turned his palm and fingers red. A shaky breath was inhaled by him and his hands trembled as he recalled the fight.

_Seto stabbed into the gut of the general and then he slit the throat. With a strange, strangled noise, the general collapsed in a heap. He took a deep breath and wiped the sweat off his brow._

_Unfortunately, he failed to notice a ninja sneaking up on him and, before he knew it, a knife was in his side._

_Seto looked furiously at his assaulter before grabbing his katana and killing the fool who dared attack him. However, the damage was done._

_He had not felt much, so he assumed it to be nothing. After all, it had been a knife, not a sword. Still, he was pissed at himself for being so careless and allowing the injury to occur._

_Watching the enemy begin to panic and retreat, Seto signaled to the other members of the South not to pursue. He knew full well that they'd return in due time. The North would probably send in their true choice for general of this section of their men._

_So, without much conversation, the Southern ninja and assassins disappeared into the trees and returned to the town._

He groaned slightly, cursing at himself for stupidly assuming that the stab had been nothing.By now, he had probably lost a considerable amount of blood.

"Hey, what's te matter with you?" Anzu demanded, annoyed at his ignoring her. He did not answer.

Instead, Seto reluctantly peeled off his black silk top and stared at the nasty gash. It went from an inch above the left hip all the way to the area above his bellybutton.

His expression contorted to horror at the seriousness of this cut. Clearly, that ninja had taken a near fatal shot. A few inches longer or closer to his stomach, Seto would probably have died by now.

Anzu's hair gripped his shoulder and spun him around to face her. He felt himself grow dizzy at the sudden movement. She glared up at him.

"Look, you. I don't ap-" She stopped dead and her face grew to alarm when she caught side of the immense amount of blood and the wound. "S-Seto!" she cried.

He felt lightheaded, more so than before. Everything was starting to shift out of focus. Groaning, he bent and grasped the gash.

"I've lost too much blood…" he muttered, panting heavily. Anzu's eyes widened.

"Hang on, I'll get you help."

"Anzu, I d-" But he was unable to make out the sentence as he felt himself black out. The last thing he heard was Anzu screaming his name.

--

**Dun, dun, DUN! Oh yeah, how do ya like that? Dramatic, violent, and "OMG" all mixed in one. How great is that? And, to top it off, one of my world famous cliffies! Why I always have Seto get these "fatal" wounds is beyond me.**

**I guess it just makes for good fanfiction. So, REVIEW! I'll be happy if you do so.**


	18. Refusal to Stay Down

**You all are so awesome! I love hearing your reviews, although I think I made a few little mistakes in the last chapter so, sorry. Like I said before, I loathe proofreading. And yes! The Japanese assassin speaks French! (I laughed when I looked back on that.)**

**Well, sorry for the cliffie. I'm happy to offer such awesome readers as you a new chapter. You all deserved it, SO GIVE YOURSELVES A PAT ON THE BACK FOR BEING AWESOME!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh. Why? Because, I was not creative enough to invent the characters and the plot before Kazuki Takahashi. What can ya do?**

* * *

**Chapter Eighteen**

_Refusal to Stay Down_

Anzu paced nervously. Seto had not woken up yet, and it's been over two hours. She had bandaged and cleaned the cut (not in that order) as soon as possible after he fell, so why wasn't he waking up?

She knelt next to the bed and took his hand. Alarm began to form – his hand was cold. Not as cold as a corpse, but much colder than her hand.

"Seto, you can't die!" she cried, holding his hand to her cheek. His fingers were spread so it was almost like he was cradling her face. "I don't want to lose you…" she whispered.

At that moment, she heard a sharp tap at the door. Anzu looked up and ran to answer it. Two men clad in black silk with white Southern clan masks stood there.

"Yes?" she asked, a feeling of uneasiness squeezing her.

"Good evening, miss. Is Master Seto here?" the man on the left asked gruffly. She looked at Seto then back at the man.

"Yes, but he is resting now. He was badly injured on the battlefield and is in need of a long rest."

"Miss, I am afraid that we are in dire need of him. When he awakens, please tell him that we require him back in battle." Anzu stared at them in disbelief.

"Sirs, I am not sure you understand. He is possibly dying right now, there's no possible way for him to battle. It's simply-"

"Miss, forgive us, but we have strict orders from the top. Master Seto is needed as soon as time permits."

"If he goes and fights and then is wounded any further, he will die."

"That is the risk we all must take. He knows the law of the clan and what obligations he has."

"Sirs, I am afraid I must ask you to leave immediately." She frowned at them, narrowing her eyes slightly. The two men exchanged glances and then bowed their heads slightly.

"Of course, Miss."

"Our apologies for disturbing you." And with that, they walked away. Anzu shut the door slowly and stood there, staring at the ground.

Her fist clenched automatically and she could feel herself trembling slightly.

"They need him back in battle? They need him back in battle. THEY NEED HIM BACK IN BATTLE!" she shrilled, spinning around and kicking the wall, causing a dent. She scowled and took a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself.

It failed. She marched over to Seto and glared down at him.

"Why do you let them do this to you? You're half dead and they want you back in battle? How could you let them command such a thing?" she cried.

Of course, the Northern Clan had done the same, only worse. One time, an assassin was crippled in a battle and was forced out again before he even had a proper night of rest.

He was killed.

Anzu felt tears welling up in her eyes. She would not let that happen to Seto! He didn't deserve to die that way.

"He fought enough for them. As far as they know, he was knocked out for the duration of the night at least." She turned out the lamp and lay next to Seto before covering them up.

Her arm lightly wound around his chest and she moved his right arm around her waist so the position was more comfortable. Snuggling up against him, she silently prayed for his recovery and for him to live.

There was one thing she did not understand.

_Why do I care so much about him?_

* * *

Seto took in a breath and slowly opened his eyes. The room was dark, but light from the moon outside shone in and offered some form of illumination.

He looked to his right to find Anzu snuggled up against him. Admittedly, he was extremely surprised to see her there. The events of the night replayed in his mind, and he quickly, yet carefully, examined the wound.

It was wrapped up nicely with gauze and there was no more blood. This brought a feeling of relief. However, he wondered faintly how the other members of the clan were doing.

He wondered when the North would begin there next assault.

"_Well, it's better not to worry too much on it. I should just get some rest."_ He rolled a little to a side so he was more comfortable and held Anzu close to him, burying his face in her hair for some solace, and he lightly kissed her ear.

His heart was beating a little faster than normal and there was a fluttering feeling in his stomach. These feelings puzzled him exceedingly until he fell asleep.

* * *

The sun rose, but the skies were cloudy so it dimmed the light. Anzu and Seto both stirred and started to wake up. Seto was up a little bit before Anzu and he lightly stroked her hair behind her ear and kissed her forehead.

"Good morning."

"Good morning, Seto…" she murmured sleepily before waking up fully and sitting up. "You're alright!" she cried happily. Seto sat up and nodded.

"Yes, I'm-" She hugged him tightly.

"Thank God! I was so afraid you were going to die." One of his arms wrapped around her waist and he held her close, ignoring the slight ache from the gash. Finally, she pulled back and looked up at him. "How are you feeling now?" she asked softly.

"Fine." He looked in her eyes. "Just…fine." His fingers lightly touched her delicate jaw line and he moved forward a little, when they heard a sharp tapping on the door.

Seto sighed and stood up to answer it.

A Southern Clan member stood there.

"Master Seto!"

"Yes?"

"Thank goodness you're alright. We need you back in battle. The North struck again last night." Seto stared at him.

"What? But I thought we kill their general!"

"Yes, and they retreated but returned within an hour with even more ninja as well as a second general. It's even worse this time! At least a quarter of our men are dead." Seto shook his head in incredulity.

"I don't believe this…" he muttered under his breath.

"Two of our men came last night and I believe they talked to a young lady here. She said you were badly injured."

"Yes. I passed out from my loss of blood last night."

"But you look fine now."

"I am. I will report." The other man nodded and bowed to him before leaving. Seto closed the door and sighed before going to find his clothes. Anzu watched him from the bed.

"So…you're going?" she asked, praying her voice wouldn't shake.

"I have to."

"Why?" she cried. "Why do you have to?" Seto sighed and looked at her sadly.

"Anzu…"

"You're hurt! If they wound you again, you might not survive!" she cried, standing up. "I'm begging you, Seto, defy the clan's orders. I don't want you to die." She hugged herself.

"_Why do I care this much?"_ she screamed in her mind. _"Why do I feel like if I lose him, I'm going to fall over and die too? This is ridiculous! I hate him!" _

Seto walked up to her and held her in his arms. Her eyes widened slightly, but she did not resist his embrace.

"I swear, I will come back to you alive."

"How can you promise that?" she whispered.

"Just trust me, Anzu."

"But I don't want you to go!" She looked up at him. "Can't you just listen to someone besides the clan? Do what's best for yourself! Stay here so you can recover."

"I can't…" Anzu glared.

"If you go out there, you'll find me gone when you return!" she threatened. Seto raised an eyebrow at her.

"And where would you go?" he challenged.

"I don't care, but I'd leave!"

"Sorry, Anzu. But I agreed to go into battle if ever I am needed, no matter what any condition of mine is."

"So that's just it?" He turned from her and put on a fresh black silk suit and his mask before revolving to face her again.

"Yes."

"So, I see your true face now. It's the face of that mask – the face of the clan." Behind the mask, Seto's face fell.

"I am not just some slave to this clan, Anzu."

"That's not the way I see it." She looked away from him. He twitched slightly and grabbed her arm, whirling her around to look at him, and then raised the mask.

"I want you to see my face and know that I am not a slave to anyone or anything. I just have honor and loyalties to the clan, and I intend to follow that honor until I either die or leave the clan."

"And the day of your death may be today!"

"Then I have served my duty in life." She shook her head, angry with him for not listening to her.

"I hate you!" she hissed.

"That may be, but I still have every intention of coming back to you." Her face distorted to a look of surprise. He let go of her arm and lowered the mouth before leaving.

Anzu ran to the door and watched him stalk away until he was gone. She clutched at her chest and shook her head.

"God, why?" she asked, retreating into the room. "I can't let him go and kill himself." She ran for the bags and dug around.

* * *

Seto was perched in a tree, watching the fighting. The North had the South outnumbered three to one, so he was very proud and admired the ninja for fighting so bravely against them. He scanned for the new general.

It was a tall, muscled man with a shaved head and a tattoo of a dragon over the left side of his face. The armor he wore was blood red and extravagant.

He thought about a new battle strategy. This general was not such a coward that he grabbed any random ran who was running by on the battle field and used him as a shield. Instead, he used his sword as a shield and skewered anybody who dared try to attack him.

Seto considered an attack from behind, but it would be tricky because the fight continued to move around – meaning the general would change where he stood. However, Seto knew he had to try.

Perhaps if he could steal a mask from a Northern ninja, it'd be easier to attack. Still, he knew that he'd be putting himself at risk for being slaughtered by one of his own comrades. And from their determined battling, they were killing at a faster rate now.

Seto shook off his thoughts and prepared his sword then jumped down into the battle field.

"_For Japan!"_ he thought. Then, he imagined Anzu. He imagined her living in a country that was free of the North's bloody hold. _"And for her…"_ he thought distantly before running into battle.

* * *

**Wow. Well, Seto's alright but he's back in battle.**

**OK! I am gonna say this: Yes, Seto has strong feelings for Anzu. I will not tell you if he loves her or if he is simply infatuated with her.**

**The same thing applies with Anzu, but she is trying to repel any and all feelings for him. So she will have a lot of emotional conflictions with herself, but most of the time she caves into her affections for Seto.**

**Just keep that in mind, and I hope you like the new chapter. I guess it's…another…cliffie though… -Laughs nervously and then runs- **


	19. Ruby Tears

**Aww, all of my fans review me. I love you guys! And now I shall do my best to honor you with a decent update. (This will be hard because I have no inspiration what-so-ever…but I am bored, which will make me want to update. So…yay!) I hope you guys like it. I kinda don't but oh well.**

**Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Anzu or Seto. All I own is the extremely long and tedious plot of this fic…sometimes I wonder why I waste my life this way…ah well.**

**--**

**Chapter Nineteen**

_Ruby Tears_

Seto ran down onto the field, dodging any swords probing the air for some soft flesh and tissue to slice. He leapt up and stabbed a Northern ninja, causing the man to cough up blood violently and fall back in the dust.

He stared at the corpse and picked up the mask, considering putting it on.

"Master Seto!" a voice yelled. He spun around in time to see a Northern attempting to sneak up on him. He quickly slashed him across the chest and grabbed his kunai knife to slit his throat.

With a strangled cry, the enemy fell. Seto shook his head in disgust. Even in his injured state, he could kill this scum so easily. How pathetic.

Seto looked at the Northern mask in his hand and threw it down, causing the clay to crack and start shattering into numerous pieces. He knew it would not be a steady plan.

The North's ninja attire had a slight elaboration that differed from that of the South. If the general had decent eyes, he could spot out Seto even with a mask covering his face. But what could he do?

There was no time to gather comrades and properly strategize a tactic. As he continued to fend off the enemy with his sword, he realized that there was time for nothing except defense and killing.

More and more bodies hit the ground with a sickening _thud_. Masks of both the North and South lay in pieces on the ground, the white mixing with red from the bodies. Seto had to fight off three or four men at a time, and he was not getting nay closer to that general.

"_Shit! They keep on coming, no matter how many I kill. At this rate, we'll be defeated before the sun sets!"_ he thought in panic.

_Clank!_

He growled and raised his katana at the oncoming assault and slit the throat of the ninja. Hell, with all the men he was killing he could pile up their bodies and use them as a wall. …yeah, that would be kind of disgusting.

Seto knew he had to nip this in the bud quickly.

A hand on his shoulder surprised him and he was spun around to face a chipped Southern mask. The figure raised the mask and a familiar pair of blue eyes glared up at him.

"Are you out of your mind?" Seto raised his mask.

"Anzu? What the hell are you doing here?" he demanded. She put her hands on her hips.

"Me? I'm not the one who's been injured."

"Get out of here before you get hurt!"

"Hey, in case you've forgotten, I was a top-ranked ninja for the North."

"But if they recognize you, they might drag you back to Yoshinori and kill you!" She lowered the stolen Southern mask.

"I'll take that chance. Now come on, we have to kill that general!" Seto lowered his mask.

"Are you actually helping me?" he asked. She sighed.

"I know you won't leave the fight, so if we simply end it, everyone's happy."

"Except the North."

"But they're never happy."

"Good point. Let's go." They ran into the midst of the fights, fending off the various assaults and other people who were being pushed or thrown in their path.

"What's our strategy?" she asked.

"He's well-guarded. We have to knock down the soldiers blocking him off quickly but in a way that is hard to notice."

"It's hard not to notice the men around you just dropping dead."

"Look, as far as they'll know, it will be the ninja fighting around him. We need to create an opening. If we both go forward, we can take out the general before any damage is caused to either one of us."

"Do we create the opening behind him?"

"Not directly. We should go for the back left and front right."

"My left or his left?"

"His left! That way we can attack from angles."

"Alright, I'll go for the right."

"Wrong, I will. There's more guards there and-"

"That's why I am going for the right!" The masked face looked at him. "You're already hurt and tired from fighting, I have more stamina right now." Seto nodded.

"Just be careful."

"I will." He grabbed her wrist and they jumped up and continued to speed through the men without facing too many problems.

But it was harder to get through as they drew nearer to the general. Seto quickly knelt closer to the ground and Anzu jumped up onto his back and leapt over to the general's area.

The man growled and raised his sword.

"Kill that Southern scum!" he roared. Five Northern guards ran forward. Behind the mask, Anzu smirked.

"_Too easy…"_ She drew twin swords and spun, slashing vigorously and without mercy at the enemy. They fell like sacks of flour. The general growled and Anzu stood, posed for a fight with her blades crossed in an X.

"Is that the best your men can do?" she asked.

"A woman? Bah!" he spat. "I will not lose to such a lowly creature."

"Sexism is vile and dirty, it makes you more worthless than the worms that writhe in the soil below my feet. It will be an honor and a pleasure to annihilate you."

"It will not be that simple."

"Do not be so sure…" she whispered in a low, silky voice that felt colder than the snow. The general pulled out a giant blade filled with nicks and blood stains. It started out smaller near the handle but then waxed to a giant, curved blade and ended with a menacing point.

It was clearly born to kill without hesitation and lived for the taste of human flesh and blood.

But Anzu stared at it without fear. She was ready to do or die, quite literally.

"No more guards?" she asked.

"No. I want to kill you."

"You hunger for the blood of victims. Such a sin will cause you to burn in the eternal flames."

"Don't be a hypocrite, you all are like me. You all love death." He ran for her and moved to slash, but she caught the blade with her swords.

"That's where you're wrong. We want to taste freedom to wash the taste of blood from out tongues, you, however, only lust for power and death. The North just wants our fear and consent. The South wants this all to end." She threw him back.

Seto moved to kill the appointed guards who stood back, ready to intervene when called for. They all began to fall in puddles of blood and organs. He groaned in disgust after a while.

How he loathed killing so many at once. Seto could not help but damn the North for causing these wars to occur. But what could the South do except fight back?

Could killing ever be right?

These thoughts almost stilled him, but he knew he had to destroy all of the guards. The plan had been altered due to improvisation of Anzu as well as the general's actions.

Finally, the last guard fell. Seto looked up to see Anzu continuing to fight off the general. His eyes popped behind the mask as he saw two men sneaking up behind her, prepared to kill.

"ANZU!" he yelled. The general froze momentarily at the sound of her name.

"'Anzu?'" he repeated. She kicked him back and spun to kill the two ninja who were sneaking up on her. Seto knew what the general was planning. He began to run toward them, sword ready.

However, two ninja leapt down and grabbed his arms. They were just strong enough to stop him for the duration of time the general needed to move forward.

"ANZU!" Seto yelled, but it was too late.

The blade sank into her delicate body. Her swords fell to the dirt with weak, metallic _clanks._

She fell back and the whole thing seemed to occur in slow motion in Seto's eyes. Her small body splashed into her blood limply and the general straightened, grinning evilly.

"Yoshinori will be pleased to know that I have slaughtered you." Seto stared at her. Then, something in his mind snapped. All he felt was heat in him, like his blood was boiling and his insides were catching fire.

This rage was unlike anything he had ever experienced. All he saw was red and all he wanted now was to kill him.

"You killed her…" He pulled his arms free, drew two kunai knives, and slit the throats of the two ninja who had held onto him, causing them to die instantly. Seto walked over to Anzu's body and picked up the swords. "You killed her."

He faced the general, his chest heaving from his ragged breaths as he tried to take enough breath to fuel his body.

"YOU KILLED HER!" he moved forward with so much speed, the general could hardly raise his sword in defense. "I'm going to kill you, I'M GOING TO CUT YOU UP AND FEED YOU TO THE HOUNDS!" he roared, revenge and bloodlust clouding every coherent thought in his mind.

"You're a madman!" the general cried.

"I'll show you mad…" Seto hissed; insanity in his voice. The swords came at the man with such speed and energy, they broke through the slow defenses without much effort.

Seto sliced at him. He cut off the hand holding the sword, causing the man to howl in pain. He began cutting at the man's body, chopping off various limbs until he got to the head.

It fell like a melon and rolled on the bloody ground. The rest of the body fell after it and Seto stood there, panting and covered in red. He dropped the swords and removed his mask.

It dropped and splattered more blood on him.

"The general is dead!" one of the Northern men yelled.

"Retreat!" Again, the ninja fled. A good number of Southern ninja pursued them to make sure they could not stop and reinforce.

Seto walked over to Anzu's body and stared down at her. He fell to his knees, pulled off her mask, and held her in his arms. Her eyes were closed and a little blood had run from the corner of her mouth.

He tightened his grip on her and held her close.

"Anzu…" He buried his face in her hair. "Please…don't die…" he pleaded, tears running down his face and mixing with blood to dye them red. Two fellow Southern members walked over to Seto.

"Master Seto…"

"He killed her!" Seto yelled. "That damned beast killed her!"

"Sir, wait."

"I will kill Yoshinori…" he hissed. "This is his doing. His clan." One man knelt next to Seto and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Sir, please…try to control yourself." Seto shook his head.

"He killed her!"

"No."

"What?" Seto looked up at his other comrade.

--

**And…you all hate me, don't you? Yup, I'm ending it here. –Dodges flying bricks and boots- Dudes, come on! You all should know me by now. Admit it. While you were reading it, you KNEW it was ending. You just knew it.**

**But, it makes for a good chapter. This was hard to write, so try to be thankful I even updated. I was trying not to gag from all the blood. But, the violence is needed. And since it's a rated M fic, I'm covered.**

**Ok, now I'm rambling. Um, review me and I'll update and let you know Anzu's fate. Ok? And I'll spoil it, I'm not killing her. I swear. I don't kill the main characters, just mortally wound them. …I'm gonna run before you guys attack me. –Runs off into the sunset-**


	20. Strained Feelings

**I love all of you reviewers! You guys make me feel so special. So now, it is my honor to grant you the gift of an update.**

**Disclaimer: Kay does not own Yugioh. I only own the extremely long and tedious plot of this story. And if you see the same plot in a book in five or ten years from now, then either somebody decided to be an asshole and copyright me, or I made it into a book myself because I am just that awesome. Yeah. **

* * *

**Chapter Twenty**

_Strained Feelings_

"He killed her!" Seto yelled. "That damned beast killed her!" He held Anzu tightly in his arms, trying hard not to sob or murder anyone around him. His emotions raged wildly inside of him. A fellow Southern Clan member stepped forward and held up his hands.

"Sir, wait."

"I will kill Yoshinori…" Seto hissed. "This is his doing. His clan." The second Southern Clan member knelt next to Seto and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Sir, please…try to control yourself." Seto shook his head.

"He killed her!" Feelings of depression started to flow in his veins as he looked at Anzu.

"No."

"What?" Seto looked up at his other comrade. He was holding Anzu's thin, pale wrist in his hand.

"I feel her pulse. It's very weak, but her heart is still beating." The man removed his white clay mask, revealing an older face with dark eyes and dark hair. He looked up at Seto, a small smile forming. "She is still alive, sir."

"But she needs medical attention now!" the other man said, also removing his mask. His face was a little younger but paler. He had brown eyes and dark brown hair.

Seto picked Anzu up bridal style and ran back toward the town. He could only think of getting her help now.

He ran into the town and searched for a place to get her assistance. A doctor, an herbal and medicine specialist, ANYONE!

Finally, he came to the house of an elderly woman who lived in the village. She was well known for her ability in creating medicines and curing the sick. Seto prayed she could save Anzu.

He entered her small, humble cottage. A little table was in the middle of the room and the walls were decorated with tapestries containing vivid illustrations of lush gardens and sceneries.

"Hello?" he called out. A woman came out of a room. Her long, gray hair was tied into a braid and her face was heavily wrinkled. She wore a silk kimono and used a smooth wooden cane.

Her eyes, however, stood out incredibly. They were a vivid blue and shone brightly, still filled with life.

"Yes?" she asked in a soft, gentle voice.

"Ma'am, can you please help save her?" He gestured his head to Anzu. She stepped closer and examined her.

"Dear me, this poor girl has suffered quite a bit. Come; let us take her to the bedroom." Seto followed her obediently. He laid Anzu on the bed.

The woman quickly removed her soiled outfit and called Seto to fetch the gauze. He did so and she started to treat the wounds on her back and her stomach.

Seto was instructed to wait in the living room. He sat at the little table on a silk, embroidered cushion. At this point, all he thought was, _"It's my fault."_

"_She went to battle after me."_

"_I didn't listen and stay with her."_

"_I should have stayed with her so she would not have been harmed."_

"_It's my fault."_

'_It's my fault."_

He trembled a little and knelt forward in agonizing defeat, his hands clutching his forehead and messing up his bangs.

"She didn't deserve this! God, what have I done?" he whispered, wincing.

"_Please let her live…"_

* * *

"_Sir? Wake up!"_ a voice drifted, almost like a breeze. Seto felt himself shake and he opened his eyes slowly. The old woman stared down at him. "You fell asleep."

He lifted his head up from the table and rubbed his eyes tiredly.

"How long was I asleep?" he asked, trying the pop his stiff neck.

"It is morning now, dear." His eyes widened a little as he turned to look out a window. She was right. The sun was out and the sky was blue. He turned back around and looked at the woman.

"How is Anzu?" he asked.

"Is that the young lady's name?" the woman asked. He nodded. "Ah, I see. Well, she is in pretty bad shape." He groaned and his head drooped. She offered him a smile. "But I am almost certain that she will make a full recovery."

He looked up and relief immediately filled his face.

"Thank God…" he whispered.

"Right now, she is sleeping. I would advice you leave her with me for a few days so I can make sure her cuts close properly."

"Yes, ma'am." Seto stood up and bowed respectably to her. "Thank you." She nodded and he left for the inn.

After taking a long bath, he changed into some fresh clothes and lay on his bed. After about an hour, he realized that he was extremely hungry and left to a ramen place. He ordered a bowl and some sake.

Two familiar friends from the South were also there enjoying some noodles.

"Master Seto!" They smiled at him.

"Good day."

"How are you feeling today?"

"Honestly, not all that great."

"Is your little lady friend alright?" one of them asked, concern in his face. Seto sighed.

"Right now, she is at the town elder's house. She is expected to make a full recovery, but she was badly injured. I was told to leave her there for a few days."

"Oh…well, try to lighten up. After all, she's the best healer in the entire town!"

"How do you know?" Seto asked dully.

"We've heard it around here." The other member nodded.

"Yeah. So, try not to worry too much, Master Seto."

"Thanks, I suppose." A waiter brought Seto his ramen noodles and sake. He took his chopsticks and started to eat in silence.

After he was done, Seto paid and left. He walked around down for a while and then decided to walk a little along the road to try and clear his head. Unfortunately, he only found himself thinking longer and harder about the entire mess.

He wondered faintly if he should consider leaving Anzu here with that older woman and simply paying her contract in full. That way, she would be safe and he could go on with his life without worrying about her.

"_It's not like I NEED to have sex with her or anything like that. And her safety is more important than some stupid contract, right?"_

But one little voice in the back of his mind was contradicting him with more corrupt thoughts and feelings.

"_Please. You could not live without having her warming your bed, Kaiba. You're paying for her, so she has to put up with what you go through. The heck with the consequences." _

A third little voice came into play. Seto could almost see a chibi angel and devil version of himself on his shoulders.

"_But she is more important than money!"_

"_Oh, come on! Enough with the corny, cliché. Kaiba only feels lust for her and a little guilty because she went and got herself hurt."_

"_On his account! And there is far more than mere lust there."_

"_Oh really?"_

"_Yes really!"_

Seto clutched his head and yelled in aggravation.

"I'm getting confused!" he snapped before taking off toward the village in an attempt to silence his "angel" and "devil."

He ran back to the inn and jumped onto his bed. Ignoring how early in the day it was, he closed his eyes and drifted into a light, dreamless slumber.

* * *

Another three days passed uneventfully. Seto went for lone walks and occasionally did a little training to keep busy. He continued to feel depressed, and it only worsened each day.

His conflictions continued day and night.

Should he leave Anzu here so she could have a better life?

Should he simply take her back home with him after she recovered and ban her from coming along on any of his missions?

Then, there were other conflictions.

How did he **really** feel about her?

Was it simply lust? A vague inclination that meant near nothing?

Or did he feel something…more? And if he did, what was it? Affection? Or could it go deeper than that?

He sighed as he continued to train out in the forest. He had set up a series of sacks filled with sand to punch and kick. It helped keep his mind off everything and yet think about it at the same time.

Weird combination, I know.

Wiping some sweat off his brow, Seto sat at the base of a tree and took his jug off water off the raised, moss-covered tree root. He took a swig and sighed.

Three days. Three days since he had seen Anzu. He was reluctant to check up on her. He feared she would somehow be in worse shape than before.

But today, he should go. He knew that he could not avoid her forever. Maybe he could apologize for causing all of this. And maybe talk to her about her future.

Taking another gulp of water, Seto jumped up and continued to train himself.

* * *

"More tea, my dear?"

"Yes, please." The elderly woman, whose name turned out to be Naomi, poured another cup of tea and handed it to her companion.

"There you are."

"Thank you."

"So, what did you say your name was?"

"Minako."

"I see. And who did you say you were looking for?"

"A Mr. Seto Kaiba."

"I am afraid I do not know anybody like that. But I will keep an eye out."

"Thank you." She sipped her tea. The girl wore a cloak and had it risen so you could no see any part of her face except her mouth. She had porcelain skin as far as you could see and a soft voice.

A rustling sound came from behind them. Naomi looked up and smiled.

"Ah, my dear, you are awake. Come, have a cup of tea." Anzu blinked at them and nodded.

"Alright." She took the seat in between Naomi and her guest.

"I don't believe I've had the pleasure. My name is Minako, and you are?" Naomi poured Anzu her tea and handed her the china. She took a sip before answering quietly,

"Anzu."

"I see." Minako finished her tea and stood up. "Well then, I really must be going. Thank you for you hospitality, Naomi-san." Minako bowed and then left.

"Is she a friend of yours?" Anzu asked.

"Actually, I have never met her before. But she seemed polite enough. Says she is looking for a young man."

"Whatever for?"

"I don't know. Maybe business. Maybe a fiancé who ran off on her. Who knows? There are too many possibilities."

"Hm." Anzu said no more. Speaking of young men reminded her of Seto. She wondered where he was.

It vexed her not to know where he was, who he was with, or what he was doing. And it vexed her further when she realized that…she missed him.

* * *

**I feel like this is a nice little spot to end the chapter. Yes, I know you all hate me. But it's not THAT much of a cliffie. Minako will be based off a character in my stories with Kay. Same name, similar appearance.**

**If you are a FAC fan of mine and have read some of my Ryuuza stories, you will know about her. If not, you will have to wait and see her purpose. She will be a problem, I can assure you. We are going to have a few antagonists buzzing around like little bees. **

**Is that not fun? …don't answer that by throwing stuff at me. I shall now take my leave. Adieu! **


	21. Complications and Awkward Situations

**Voila! An update! I have been so bored lately and I have been itching to go on writing frenzies, but at this moment I don't feel like typing in my book. So I'm going for fanfics! Maybe I should start another one…you know, I think I will! I was inspired at my friend's house this morning with this thing were writing out loud and…I'm getting off topic.**

**Sorry people! I have a tendency to ramble when I'm bored. But, at least I'm not one of those stiff authors who don't say much to her readers, right? I got a little character in me! …yeah, I'll shut up now. **

**PS. THANKS FOR HELPING ME HIT 300 REVIEWS!**

**Disclaimer: I continue to fail being Kazuki Takahashi, meaning that Yugioh is not mine. Therefore, Anzu and Seto are (sadly) not mine. All other characters (besides Mokuba, who may be in here somewhere) belong to me and my creativity. HUZZAH!**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-One**

_Complications and Awkward Situations_

(Yes, I rhymed the chapter title on purpose)

Anzu took another sip of her tea, the liquid warming her cold lips. She had grown to like it here in Naomi's humble little house, but she had this powerful yearning to be back with Seto. Unfortunately, she had no clue if he was still at the inn or somewhere else.

And with her injuries still a little problematic, Naomi advised Anzu not to leave just yet. So, she was pretty much stuck there.

It drove her nuts to be cooped up in one spot for too long! Too much of a reminder of that blasted room she used to have in the Northern Clan. It always felt like a prison, despite its cold comfort and beauty.

Shaking off her thoughts, Anzu sipped her tea again. The chiming sound of a bell filled her ears and she looked up. Naomi smiled.

"Oh, we have another guest." She clapped her hands a little in delight and stood to answer whoever had come to call on her. Anzu smiled.

For such an old woman, Naomi certainly had plenty of life and spirit in her.

Her husband had died five years ago and her children had moved to villages far away from this one to pursue dreams, love, or careers. So, poor Naomi was left here alone. And with the years piling on her, she knew that there was not much time left in the world for her.

Despite telling Anzu this sad story, a smile remained on the old woman's kind face. She told her that living in sadness and clinging to the past made a future impossible. She intended to live as happily as she could.

That story had brought a tear to Anzu's eye. She both pitied and admired Naomi for her determination and strength in life. Despite being alone, she stayed happy. And although she did not dwell in the past, she valued her memories of her family and thought fondly of all of them.

The door opened and Naomi greeted the guest.

"Good day, sir. It's so nice to see you here again."

"Yes, thank you." Anzu's head shot up at the voice of the man who had come to visit. Naomi led him into her house.

"May I offer you a cup of tea, sir?"

"Yes, please." He seated himself next to Naomi and across from Anzu. She poured him a cup and he accepted it gratefully. Anzu found herself staring at Seto.

He took notice and looked at her. She automatically looked back down, a blush apparent on her cheeks, and sipped her own cup of tea once more.

"You look well." She didn't answer for a moment, waiting to see if the comment had been directed at Naomi. The silence answered that inquiry for her.

"Yes, Naomi-san has taken excellent care of me." Seto nodded.

"I am pleased to hear that."

"She still needs a day or two more of rest. After that, the little miss will be ready to take leave with you." Naomi smiled that kind smile of hers.

"That is very good news."

"Sir, forgive me, but I don't believe you have introduced yourself to me. Pray tell, what is your name?"

"Seto Kaiba, ma'am." Naomi looked thoughtful.

"Why does that ring a bell?" she asked, mostly to herself. After a moment, she snapped and perked up a little. "Ah yes! A young woman had come here earlier seeking you."

"A woman?" Seto asked; confusion in his face. Anzu squeezed her china, feeling her stomach give an envious flip. This astounded her, and she tried to ignore the feeling. Naomi nodded.

"Yes, sir. Didn't see her face, but I got her name. Minako. Does that ring a bell to you?"

"I'm afraid not." Seto shrugged. "Maybe she was sent by the Southern Clan with some scrolls or something like that. Probably nothing of grave importance."

"She did not sound urgent, but she said that she had been searching hard for a young man for a couple of days now."

"Well, thank you for the message."

"Of course. Anzu, dear, something the matter? You certainly are not speaking much."

"I suppose I'm still a little sleepy."

"Do you want to go and rest?"

"No, I'll be fine." Naomi gave a slightly skeptical look, but she did not object to her decision. She stood up.

"Well, I've been meaning to go to the market and pick up some fresh food for the stew I am making tonight. Mr. Kaiba, if you don't mind staying here, I'd love for you to join us tonight."

"I would enjoy that greatly, ma'am." She smiled.

"I'll be back soon." She put on a shawl and took a little basket before going out. Seto and Anzu sat there in an awkward silence for a while. Finally, she spoke.

"So…it's been quite a few days since I last saw you."

"Three."

"Why haven't you come to see me?" she asked, feeling a little hurt by how emotionless he sounded. Seto shrugged slightly.

"I'm honestly not sure myself. I've been thinking a lot these past few days."

"About?" she pressed on, her curiosity piqued.

"About…you. And about what went on. And…about what will happen next." She tilted her head, a little unsure as to what his meaning was. Seto looked away from her, trying to gather up his courage to tell her what he thought. After a second or two, he looked her in the eyes. "You went into battle because of **me**. You were hurt because of **me**. And you almost died because of **me**."

"It wasn't y-"

"No, Anzu. It **was** my fault." He clenched his fists. "Each day I feel guiltier about it. I want to put myself through what you went through because I deserve it." He shook his head, disgusted with himself. "I've been so conflicted…"

"Conflicted?" she repeated.

"About…whether or not I should…break your contract." Her eyes widened slightly.

"W-what?" she asked, unable to believe what she was hearing.

"I could set you free, pay you in full, and not have to worry about seeing you almost killed on my behalf. You could stay here with Naomi, or go anywhere else."

"But…but…"

"Or, you can stay with me and not go on anymore missions of mine. I just don't want to have to see an innocent person die, Anzu!" he snapped. "It's happened too many times to friends of mine, and I'm getting tired of it." She shrunk back a little at the rise of his temper.

"I-I see." He sighed and sat back.

"It's your choice."

"You're letting **me** decide?" she asked. He nodded.

"Yes." Seto hung his head, waiting with dread for her to demand her freedom. He waited for her to want to walk out of his life forever and leave him empty and frosted inside for all eternity.

But, she said nothing. Silence hung over them for a few minutes.

"What…do you want me to do?" she asked softly. He looked up in surprise. Her face was slightly reddened with embarrassment and she would not meet his gaze. "I admit, at first, I hated the thought of being near you. But…I've come to see you as…a comrade and…if I walk out now…"

"We probably will never see each other again." She nodded, hating herself for not picking the freedom. But she just could not force herself to do that.

"Exactly." He sighed.

"This is what conflicts me. I have to admit, you've grown on me. Since you've come, things have been more…interesting, shall we say." She couldn't help but smile at the way he worded that. "But, it's because of the fact that I'm growing, shall we say, fond of you, that I do not want to risk losing you."

"I understand."

"It's a difficult decision…" Anzu shut her eyes, wishing she did not have this turmoil going on.

She was telling herself to get out of the contract! Leave this man and never look back.

But there was this clandestine bond to him that continued to make her not want to leave him. This tantalizing man who was sucking her in deeper and deeper with each day and leaving her thoughts scrambled and her wants scattered.

Lustful impulses had gone through her head too many times for it to be healthy. But not just those. There were simple, cleaner thoughts of the two of them together, simply enjoying one another's company.

And it vexed her. Oh, how it vexed her.

Why did she feel this way? Did she simply want him? Did she like the security of being with him? After all, he had more than enough money to take care of her in good luxury for the rest of her days.

Or did she love him?

Her fingers convulsed slightly when that word entered her thoughts.

Love.

A word that was even more dangerous than fifty trained assassins setting their sights on her.

A feeling that could make her world, or completely make her existence crumble away into nothing.

Oh, how she loathed even that concept. It was an unnecessary complication that threw her world into even more tumult than she wanted or needed.

Still…

The whole idea was a beautiful thing. And she did dream of one day finding a good guy, starting a family, and living a happy life.

"_Snap OUT of it, Anzu! Seto Kaiba is a cold, ruthless jerk! He'll only break your heart in the end. It's better to simply cut your losses and run!"_

She wanted to agree with that. By GOD, did she want to agree. But something still wasn't letting her completely turn towards that direction.

"I don't know…" she finally said. "I cannot make a decision right now."

"Do you think you can think it over for the rest of the time you're here and tell me what you want to do in a few days?" he asked. She nodded.

"Yes." They sat there and waited for Naomi, feeling too awkward to talk.

The door opened and the familiar face popped in.

"Hello you two. You'll never believe who I bumped into at the market." With that special grin of hers, Naomi moved aside to reveal a person in a hooded cloak with the hood raised.

They walked into the cottage and lowered the hood, revealing the face of a beautiful woman, maybe a year or two older than Anzu. Her hair was curly, glossy, and ebony. Her eyes were dark and glittered like stars, and her lips were red and stood out prettily against her pale face. A lovely vision, indeed.

"Seto Kaiba, correct?" He gave her a look.

"Yes. And who are you?" he asked, not charmed by her good looks. She giggled a little and threw her arms up.

"Praise the gods, I have finally found you!" She ran over and threw her arms around him in an embrace. Anzu gasped and Seto stiffened up, his eye twitching a little. "My name is Minako!" she said joyfully.

"Yes, great. Why are you hugging? Speaking of which, would you stop?" She released him and moved back a little, grinning.

"I am your fiancé!" she exclaimed cheerfully. Anzu froze and twitched a little. Seto just sat there and stared at her, a look of complete incredulity, astonishment, and slight disturbance on his features.

"WHAT?" he and Anzu both yelled in unison, their eyes popping slightly.

* * *

**YES! Fiancé! I assure you, I intend on explaining it next chapter. It's an interesting story, and I know it will piss you all off. FYI, I hate Minako too. You will all grow to hate her, trust me. EVERYONE DOES! **

**Which is always funny. So, uh, don't hunt me down in my sleep and kill me, please. I SWEAR I'll update soon! –Goes to hide from any and all crazy, homicidal reviewers- I JUST WANT TO MAKE IT A GOOD STORY!**

**And this was a hard chapter to write... -Stays hidden so reviewers can't kill me-**


	22. Her Choice

… **-Peeks head into chapter and looks for any crazy fans that are angry about Minako's appearance in the fic- OK, I think it's safe. Uh, hello! I'm back to update. So, uh, yeah. Everything will be explained and the fic is going to go through MEGA turmoil and chaos and plot twists.**

**Isn't that fun? …don't answer that. So, uh, ONWARD! (In case you haven't noticed, I'm really scared that some readers will want to kill me due to the last chapter. Yeah…)**

**Disclaimer: My failure to be Kazuki Takahashi continues. He owns Anzu and Seto, I do not.**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Two**

_Her Choice_

"I am your fiancé!" Minako exclaimed cheerfully. Anzu and Seto both stiffened and stared at the girl. They were silent for all of two seconds.

"WHAT?" they both yelled in unison, their eyes popping slightly. Minako blinked before plastering that smile on her face again.

"I am you fiancé." Seto's eye twitched.

"Are you kidding me? Since WHEN?" he yelled.

"Since a week ago, Kaiba-kun." He twitched again at "Kaiba-kun."

"Don't call me that…" he grumbled.

"See, these three members of the clan said you needed a lady in your life. And so, they scouted me out and said I would be the perfect mate for you. Now, we are to wed!"

"NO! I am not getting married!" Seto yelled, banging his fists on the table. "This is completely ridiculous!" She giggled.

"Aw, Kaiba-kun."

"I said don't call me that…"

"You **have** to marry me! Otherwise, you'll be expelled from the Clan and nothing short of disgrace and shame will befall you."

"That is a lie! If I were required to marry, they would not have sent some girl to me and tell me, plain as day, I'm getting married! This is a joke."

"I'm afraid not, dear. But don't worry!" Minako smiled and took his hand. "I'll be a good wife to you." Seto yanked his hand away.

"I don't want a wife!" he snapped. "This is completely ludicrous!" Minako sighed.

"Men…" She smiled. "Alright, dear. I'll give you a day to calm yourself. I'm sure, once you think it over, you'll embrace the idea! Besides, my father is a part of the North. If you marry me, a major general of your enemy will form an alliance with the South! Won't that simply be lovely?"

"If we want an alliance, then WHY can't you marry someone else? I'm not interested."

"You will be, I assure you." She stood up and winked. "Nobody can resist me."

"Want a bet?" Seto grumbled. Minako blew him a kiss, much to his disgust.

"I'll call on you again in a few days." With a pretty smile, she took her cloak and left. Seto clenched his fists.

"What in the hell are they THINKING?" he snarled. Naomi blinked.

"Sir?" she asked. "Are you alright?"

"Far from it!" he snapped before storming out of the house. He did this for two reasons: 1. To avoid breaking something out of his anger. 2. To avoid looking at Anzu due to his humiliation at this horrible request.

Anzu sat there, her face white. Her eyes were widened slightly, and her hands shook. Naomi looked at her.

"Dear? What's the matter?" Anzu didn't answer her. She didn't even move a muscle. Naomi knelt next to her and waved her hand in front of her face, hoping to snap her out of the trance. "Anzu?" she asked.

Finally, Anzu snapped back to reality.

"He's engaged…" she whispered. Naomi tilted her head.

"It would seem that way." Anzu shook her head.

"I can't believe him! He's engaged! That…that…" She growled, clenching her fist. Naomi looked at her in confusion.

"I don't understand. Are you and him-?" she started. Anzu shook her head furiously.

"Never!" she snapped. "I would never be with that womanizer!"

"Are you his daughter, then?" Naomi asked. "I'm curious about your relation is."

"I am not related to him by blood. He…I….he purchased me."

"Are you a scullery maid?" Naomi asked in surprised. Anzu shut her eyes.

"No…I was sold to him to be his whore." Naomi stared at her.

"What? That can't be! The way he was…he doesn't seem like the kind."

"He's clearly a womanizer! I'll bet you he simply left to go and jump the bones of that little wench! That whole little display of his was probably an act!" Anzu trembled. "And I was so stupid! I thought that he…actually cared!" Tears formed in her eyes.

She was so angry! And hurt! Choking back a sob, she banged her fists on the table, knocking over her cup of tea.

"I hate him!" she cried, the tears falling down her face.

"_I am such a weak fool for feeling this pain! I am such an idiot for falling for his tricks. He felt nothing for me, but I thought he did! How could I be so stupid?" _she thought, her frame shaking from her tears.

Naomi enveloped Anzu in a motherly embrace and hushed her.

"There, there, child. It's alright." She shook her head and cried into the old woman's shoulder.

"No, it's not! I thought…him and me…we would be…" She couldn't even form a complete sentence. All she could do is sob in anger and sadness over her mistake and incorrect assumptions.

Naomi acted like the mother Anzu never knew. She held the crying girl, comforting her. She told her that everything would be alright.

And, after a few minutes, Anzu cried herself out and sat back up, wiping her face. Naomi offered her a handkerchief and Anzu wiped her sore eyes while Naomi cleaned up the spilt tea.

Naomi sat next to her, patting her shoulder.

"Now, Anzu, tell me something. Do you really hate Mr. Kaiba?" she asked.

"I do!" Anzu automatically answered. "He led me on!"

"Are you sure? His reaction appeared too real for it to be an act."

"Men like him are good actors." Anzu put on a sour expression and crossed her arms. "They take whatever maidens they find fair, trick them into believing they mean something to him, and then leave them broken!"

"Come now, love. Do you really believe that?"

"Yes! …no…I don't know!" she cried. "I'm so hurt and confused right now! I mean he…while you were gone, he spoke to me. He said how he was upset I got hurt and how he never wanted it to happen again. He was willing to break my contract, pay me in pull, and let me go!"

Anzu hiccupped and felt another batch of tears welling up in her eyes.

"I've only been with him for about two weeks, and he's already changed my thoughts on so many things! At first, I wanted to get away from him! But then, I-I started wanting to be close to him.

"He's left me alone before, to go and do his missions. And I thought being away from him would be easy, but it was hard! A-and it still is!"

She shook her head and sobbed.

"I couldn't tell him I wanted to leave! I wanted to, b-but I didn't! I just wasn't able to force myself t-to do it! A-and even though he's engaged, I…I still want to be there with him!" she cried. "I hate it! I hate myself and I hate him! I hate that girl!"

"Don't say that, Anzu."

"It's true! I've only been with him for such a short time, but now, everything I want leads back to him! All my thoughts are different, my feelings are more confusing. And I hate him for making me like this! It's like my entire world is being turned upside down and twisted all over the place!"

"Dear, just calm down for a moment." Anzu took a breath in an attempt to calm herself. Naomi gave a small smile. "There now. It's ok."

"Oh, Naomi…I just…I'm so tired of this. It seems like my life has been falling apart lately."

"I understand how you feel, dear. But you can't let your emotions control you. You have to try and think clearly and look ahead instead of letting the pain engulf you. And you also need to acknowledge truth over illusions that your feelings provide."

"Yeah…you're right."

"Now, think again. Do you **really** hate Mr. Kaiba?" she asked. Anzu shook her head slowly.

"No…" She hugged her knees to her chest, still shaking her head. "I don't. In fact, right now, he's the most important person in my life."

"Then go off that, love. Go off that." Naomi patted her hand and stood up to go and start the stew. Anzu sat there, still feeling miserable; but deep in thought.

* * *

The next day, Naomi allowed Anzu to go into town and buy some groceries for their dinner that night. It was a refreshing change of atmosphere to be in the town. Anzu happily picked up some food for the two of them, humming a little to herself.

She filled up their basket and walked back to the house, enjoying herself immensely. That is, until, someone snatched her arm and pulled her aside.

"Hey!" She was dragged into the shadows of a nearby cottage by a hooded figure. They pulled their hood down and she saw it was Minako. "Oh, it's you."

"Yeah, it's me!" she snapped, her voice a new and rather mean tone. Anzu was slightly taken back, but chose to ignore it.

"May I help you?" she asked simply.

"Yes. You can stay away from my Kaiba-kun." Anzu tried not to laugh.

"Excuse me, **your** Kaiba-kun?" Minako narrowed her eyes and placed her hands on her hips.

"Don't trifle with me, girl. You wouldn't want all that pretty hair to get yanked out of your skull."

"You call **that** a threat? Please! You wouldn't stand a chance against me in a fight." Minako growled.

"I'm warning you, stay away from him! I'm engaged to him, and I won't stand to have anyone in my way. Especially a pathetic little nobody like you." Anzu stared at her.

"If I'm such a pathetic nobody, I don't see why you would find me a threat, Minako. If Kaiba had any real interest in you, I wouldn't be an obstacle. But the way you're making this sound, he must have interest in me."

"Stop trying to turn this in your favor! I know he purchased you as his sex slave. Keep in mind that the only thing **you're** good for is warming his bed. I, on the other hand, can have his children and ensure a good future for him."

"You selfish little slut!" Anzu hissed. "You have no right to drag me here and threaten me! And let me tell you something, I have no intention of backing away from Kaiba. I dare you to try something, and then I'll make your pathetic life a living hell." With that, Anzu stalked away, leaving Minako shocked and steaming mad.

She stormed home and gave Naomi the groceries, a scowl on her pretty face.

"_That little bitch wants a fight? I'm going to give her a war!"_

* * *

Another two days passed. Seto knew he needed to check on Anzu again. He didn't want to because he knew what her decision was.

"_I want you to rip up my contract and let me go."_

He could already hear her voice in his head, telling him just that. And he was filled with nothing but dreadful anxiety.

"_You have to face her eventually, better make it now and get it over and done with."_ He sighed as he walked up to the familiar house. Groaning inwardly, his innards twisting with trepidation, he pulled on the small rope at the side of the house attached to the little bell inside.

Within a minute, Naomi answered the door. She beamed at Seto.

"Ah, good morning, Mr. Kaiba."

"Good morning, Naomi-san. How is Anzu?"

"She is doing well today. I believe you can take her home."

"We'll see."

"Come in, then!" He accepted her invitation and walked into the house.

"Anzu dear!" Naomi called. "Mr. Kaiba is here." Seto took a seat and waited. Anzu walked out in a black silk kimono Naomi had given her. "I'll leave you two to talk." Naomi left for the bedroom to finish cleaning.

Anzu sat across from Seto.

"Hello." He nodded at her greeting.

"I'm glad to hear you're better today." She nodded.

"Yes. Naomi says my wounds have closed and there should only be small scars."

"Good." Anzu nodded and they sat there in awkward silence. Seto sighed.

"You know why I am here. I need your answer, Anzu. Although, I think I know what it will be."

"Yes, well, I have thought it over. And I have come to a decision."

"And what is your decision?" he asked, preparing for the worst. She took a deep breath.

"I want…to stay with you."

"Ok, I'll-" He stopped and stared at her, letting what she had said sink in. "Did…did you say you want to **stay** with me?" he asked in disbelief. Anzu nodded.

"Yes. If that's alright with you." Seto blinked.

"…are you sure you've recovered alright?" She laughed a little, unable to help it.

"Yes. Why? Is there a problem?" He shook his head.

"No, no. But…I was so sure that you would want me to rip up your contract. I wasn't expecting you to say you wanted to stay." Anzu blushed a little.

"Well…I do. When do we leave?" she asked.

"How about tonight?" he asked. "I want to avoid my 'fiancé' for as long as humanly possible…" he grumbled.

"Ha, that makes two of us."

"What was that?" she felt herself turn a little more red.

"Nothing!" He eyed her funny and shrugged.

"Alright, if you say so." Naomi walked back into the room, right on cue.

"So, is everything all squared away between you two?" she asked cheerfully. Seto and Anzu exchanged looks and nodded.

They bade goodbye to Naomi, and Anzu promised to come and visit her as often as she could. Together, they returned to the inn and packed their things.

That night, Seto called for his carriage and they finally left the down. Anzu leaned against him, feeling both relieved and anticipant.

She told herself over and over again that she had only agreed to stay with Seto to get back at that little bitch, Minako. But no matter how many times she repeated that, she knew in her heart there were other reasons that she was too afraid to accept.

* * *

**Well, I hope you liked that chapter. Ha, I swear, things are only going to get worse fro here on out. And there is one more week left in the bet Anzu and Seto had made, so he still has a chance to win.**

**Not that it will make too much of a difference in the end. As for Minako, she is FAR from finished. That girl is nothing but problems, chaos, and turmoil. But she might help push Anzu and Seto together, ironically enough.**

**I dunno. I'm not promising anything or spoiling anything. REVIEW!**


	23. Counting the Days

**Hello! You all are wicked awesome for reviewing. And you all hate Minako already, that's great! It means I have fulfilled my goal. Yes, I enjoy portraying characters of my own creation and making you loathe them. It means I'm doing a good job.**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy the next update.**

**Disclaimer: Yugioh is not mine. Neither is the creation of spaghetti…unfortunately. **

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Three**

_Counting the Days_

Anzu smiled at the familiar manor and Seto helped her out of the carriage. Both had been roused from their sleep by the coachman, announcing their arrival. Two servants rushed outside, still in their nightwear, and bowed to Seto and Anzu. They ran to fetch their bags as the two entered the manor.

It was still dark outside and only a few candles lit the manor. The lighting was dim. Still, Anzu was happy to see it again.

She allowed herself to yawn and felt Seto's hand rest on her shoulder.

"I suppose we should retire for the rest of the night." She nodded sleepily and he guided her up the stairs. They didn't bother changing out of their clothes and slid under te covers of his bed.

She snuggled up against him, wrapping an arm around him. His arm snaked around her waist and held her close. Anzu blushed a little and she never realized how much she'd missed sleeping against his warm, solid frame.

Her face grew hotter as she thought a little more about this. She remembered their stupid bet. There was a week to go.

Although, she had slept by herself for a few days and it didn't exactly please her. She was starting to like snuggling up to Seto. It was a warm, safe feeling when she knew he was there.

His soft breathing filled her ears and she realized he had drifted off to sleep. She sat up and looked at his face. Her hand lightly rested on his cheek and she knelt down, softly kissing his lips.

He was such a beautiful man; there was no denial of that. She lightly stroked his hair and saw him smile faintly in his sleep. She lay back down and rested her head against his chest, feeling his heartbeat against her cheek.

His heart was the last thing she heard before she finally went to sleep herself.

* * *

Seto sat up and stretched the next morning, feeling refreshed for the first time in days. He looked at Anzu and smiled at her sleeping form.

The fact that she had wanted to stay with him baffled him, but it please him immensely. He decided to go and take a nice, long bath before she woke up. Grabbing his clothes, he exited the room silently.

A servant fetched him a towel and bowed to him before running off. Seto entered the bath and removed his clothes. He stepped into the hot water and sighed in satisfaction.

The steamy water soothed him. For a while, he forgot all about that stupid Minako and the incident during the fight. He just sat there in blissful peace. However, the sound of someone entering the bath caught his attention.

He turned to see Anzu walking in. She noticed him and stopped; a blush distinct on her face.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't know you were here."

"Yeah. Um, if you want to come in, I'll go." Seto turned and reached for his towel.

"N-no, that's ok. You were here first." He looked at her and saw she looked very awkward and embarrassed. But what puzzled him was that she was not leaving. She just stood there.

"What? You want to come in?" he joked. She didn't answer, just stared at him with a shocked look on her face. He tilted his head at her, surprised that she didn't give him a scathing remark.

"Don't be ridiculous!" she finally snapped, crossing her arms and looking away. He smirked. There was the Anzu he knew and love.

"Are you sure? Or are you afraid the heat will get to you?" he challenged, his voice low and sexy. She gulped but forced a scowl.

"You're sick!" she hissed.

"Am I? Or are you just afraid to admit that I'm right."

"You're not right! You're wrong, on so many levels."

"Then prove it, Anzu. Why don't you join me?" he offered; half serious, half joking. She frowned at him and walked up to him, leaning down so she was in his face.

"Are you sure **you** won't be the one to lose control?" she growled. He smirked.

"I'm pretty good at restraining myself. What about you?" She didn't answer. Just stood up and slid the silk of her kimono off her shoulders. Seto turned around to lean against the wall of the bath, smirking.

But he also did it to avoid gawking at her while she undressed. He knew blushing and staring at her would not help him restrain himself.

He honestly did not know why he had poked fun at her to try and get her in the bath with him. I mean, sure he wanted to win their bet. He wouldn't mind jumping her bones. But trying to get her naked and in the **bath** with him? That seemed a little kinky. He heard the silk hit the ground and swallowed dryly.

"_Well, too late now…"_ he thought wryly. She stepped into the water and went over to him, crouching so only her shoulders up were out of the water.

"Satisfied?" she asked. Seto shrugged.

"I suppose you could say that." She swam back into the slightly deeper part of the bath, taking care to keep her chest covered. Admittedly, this made her reminisce that time he was out on a mission and she had envisioned him and her in the bath, doing rather naughty things.

"Why don't you join me?" she asked. "You were the one who wanted me in the bath so badly."

"Mmm…true. But you're playing with fire, Anzu. Be careful or you'll get burned."

"I doubt that." He swam over to her and leaned close to whisper hotly in her ear.

"Ok, I'm here. Do you dare try anything else?"

"Maybe…" She looked at him and leaned up, capturing his lips with hers. The heat was getting to her. What she had originally planned to be a simple tease was crumbling her resistance and making her blood boil with desire all over again.

And when she started to kiss her back, tangling his hands in her hair, she knew she couldn't go back now.

"_Shit! What the hell am I doing?"_ she thought furiously as she parted her lips to allow his tongue entrance. And the battle for dominance between the two started. _"Get a hold of yourself!"_

Unfortunately, the little voice in her head fell upon deaf ears. Instead of pulling back and running outside into the snow to cool off her frenzied body, she moaned into the kiss and ran her hands across his bare chest.

She could only imagine how they appeared.

Soaking wet, naked, flushed… She could feel herself growing more and more aroused each moment. He pulled back and went for her neck.

She gasped a little, closing her eyes in bliss as he gently suckled her skin. Her face grew more flushed at his lips started moving lower. He kissed her shoulder and she lightly ran her fingers through his silky hair.

Unfortunately, the classic interruption came.

"Mr. Kaiba!" He jumped back from Anzu and she quickly ducked under water as a servant ran into the bath.

"Y-yes?" he asked. She swam to him and lightly hugged one of his legs. He tried not to flinch at this.

"You have a guest. A young lady named Minako." Seto groaned.

"Damn! How the hell did she get here so- ugh, never mind. Can you send her away?"

"She insists on seeing you and staying here with you." Seto smacked his forehead.

"God damn it…" he mumbled. "OK, fine. Just send her to some room; I'll be there in a moment." He nodded.

"Yessir." And with that, the servant bowed and left. Seto sighed with relief and remembered Anzu gripping his leg underwater. He tried not to go hard as a few rather…corporeal thoughts filled his head.

He reached under water and took her arm, urging her to resurface. She did so and gasped for breath. He looked away before caving into his desires and staring at (and possibly groping) her breasts. Anzu coughed and shook it off, rubbing the water out of her eyes.

"What was that about?" she finally asked.

"That stupid little wench, Minako, followed me here. And she won't leave." Seto groaned in irritation and grabbed for his towel before stepping out of the water and wrapping it around his waist.

"You're not actually going to go to her, are you?" Anzu asked.

"Do I have an option? Maybe I can rid myself of her."

"Or maybe she'll try to rape you!" Anzu snapped. Seto eyed her.

"What are you jealous?" he asked. Anzu turned red.

"No!" Seto snickered smugly.

"Sure."

"I'M NOT!" she screeched as he grabbed his clothes and walked away. Anzu scowled and sank into the water, secretly mourning the loss of his heated body against hers.

* * *

Seto entered the parlor to see Minako sitting there, gazing out the window. He cleared his throat to make his presence known. She looked up and beamed.

"Kaiba-kun!" she exclaimed.

"Don't call me that!" he snapped. She appeared unfazed by his harsh command. Her smile remained plastered on her face.

"So, have you embraced the idea of our unity yet?" she asked sweetly.

"Let me think; NO!" he snarled. "And I never will, so go and follow somebody else. I don't care if I'm expelled from the Clan; I have no interest in you!"

"Aww, come now, my sweet. Let's think it over a bit. Are you simply refusing me because of that little whore you bought?" she asked smoothly. Seto blinked and shook his head.

"No!"

"Really? So, let's say I stay here and you let her go and she leaves you. Sure you won't change your mind?" Seto flinched a little. Minako smirked. "She's only after the money from your contract, Kaiba-kun. But me…" Minako walked up to him and lace dher arms around his neck, "I want you. Just you."

He frowned and then ripped her hands off him.

"Do not touch me!" he growled. Minako frowned as well.

"You're wasting your time with that little bitch."

"DON'T CALL HER THAT!" Seto yelled, eyes lighting up with rage. "You don't even know her, so you have no right to call her that!" Minako stood there, eyes widened with shock.

"I…"

"You need to leave; right now!" He pointed at the door, glaring. Minako held up her hands defensively.

"Alright, wait. Hear me out." Seto rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest, clenching his jaw muscles slightly.

"You have five minutes."

"I am engaged to you. So, let's have a little experiment. I stay here with you for a month."

"Why on Earth would I agree to that?" he snapped.

"Simple. If you don't want me in a month's time, I'll leave and marry someone else. But, if you do want me within that time, you and I wed. Sound fair?" she asked. Seto furrowed his brows slightly.

"You won't give me any other choice, will you? And I suppose there is no other way to rid myself of you, is there?"

"None whatsoever."

"Fine! But I'm drawing up a contract, and if you don't follow through, I'll have you killed for it."

"You'd kill me?" she asked with mock innocence.

"Not me. I'd have an executioner hired."

"Hmph, alright, fine. I won't lose anyway." He rolled his eyes.

"Whatever. I'm going to write up that contract." He started to walk out of the room but stopped and looked at her. "There is one more condition."

"Which is?" she asked.

"You cannot touch Anzu. You are not allowed to hurt her physically or emotionally. If I find out you've done anything, you're out on the streets."

"Fair enough, I won't touch your precious little slut." Seto glared furiously at her, but left to draw up their contract. Minako smirked. "I'll make it so he'll never want that little piece of filth again."

* * *

**Yeah, I'll end it here. It's getting pretty good. A nice little sexy moment with Seto and Anzu in this chapter. And I think I have a plan for the upcoming chapters. It should be pretty damn good.**

**So, uh, review. And I'll update eventually.**


	24. Lose the Bet or Lose the Man

**Hello everyone. Sorry for not really existing anymore, I've been so swamped with color guard and I've started school again, so I don't really have any time from the computer anymore. Also, my internet sucks even more now so it's hard to get websites to load. Fanfiction decided to be a miracle and load, which was amazing. Please don't get mad if I take a decade to update, I'll do my best to come up with a chapter for you all as frequently as possible. Just be patient with me.**

**And, uh, I forgot my so-called plan for the next chapters so…bear with me. I'm gonna do my best to not screw this fic up.**

**Disclaimer: …yeah, still don't own Yugioh. Sadness...**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Four**

_Lose the Bet or Lose the Man, Which is it?_

Anzu sat on her bed, reading a book. Huh, interesting how she called the bed that she and Seto slept in hers. It was strange how it had a nice ring to it.

She shook her head and returned her attention to the words printed before her, trying not to think such sentimental thoughts. The door opening caught her attention and she looked up to see Seto walking into the room, a frustrated scowl on his handsome face.

"Something wrong?" she asked. Seto looked at her and sighed loudly.

"Yes. And you are not going to like it."

"I'm sure it's not that bad."

"Oh, it's **very** bad."

"Well, what is it?" He was silent for a moment. She started to feel a small, nagging sense of panic. Before she could repeat her question, he looked into her eyes and temporarily immobilized her with his piercing gaze.

"Minako is staying here for a month." Anzu blinked and stared at him fixedly, searching for the jest in that sentence. Seto winced inwardly, preparing for her scathing reaction and considering whether or not he should jump out of the window and chance dying from the fall verses taking a chance on an angry Anzu.

The window was extremely tempting.

Suddenly, Anzu started laughing. He stared at her, confusion in every inch.

"Er…why are you laughing?" he asked, concerned by her sudden fit of giggles at the serious and not exactly good news. She took a breath and grinned.

"I really thought you were serious for a moment. Minako staying here, that's hilarious!" she sighed, leaning back a little. "So, what is the real bad news?"

"Um…that really **was** the news. She **is **staying here." Once again, she stared at him. Only this time, all the amusement was dead in her eyes. Anger started to swirl in those cerulean depths.

"SHE'S WHAT?!" Anzu screeched, jumping up from the bed and charging at him full speed. Seto thought on his feet and held her back, grunting a bit in struggle.

"She's…staying…"

"WHY THE HELL ARE YOU LETTING HER STAY HERE? ARE YOU A FREAKING IDIOT?"

"Damn it, Anzu, cut it out!" he snapped, irritated as she tried to remove herself from his grip to, no doubt, claw his face or something of that sort.

"I WANT HER TO GO JUMP OFF A CLIFF, NOT LIVE UNDER THE SAME ROOF AS ME!"

"Why the hell are you so pissed? She's no threat to you! Are you jealous of her or what?"

"JEALOUS? YOU MUST BE JOKING!" But Seto caught the way her face turned even redder and how her eyes showed a moment of panic. He smirked and pushed her back and she fell onto the bed. He loomed over her, arms crossed over his chest.

"I thought as much." She glared up at him.

"What is **that** supposed to mean?" she demanded.

"You're willing to throw our bet away, aren't you? Now that there's another woman involved, you feel threatened."

"Threatened? Hah! By that skinny, slutty little witch? You're crazy." He hovered over her, hands by her head and knees parallel to her hips.

"Then explain earlier in the bath…" he growled in that low, sexy voice. "Why don't you just admit what you want and take it?"

"I don't want anything from you!" she spat. He leaned closer.

"I think you do."

"Your assumption is incorrect. So sorry." He growled at her at she automatically felt herself grow just a little too excited at that. He looked so freaking good right now, she honestly did want him to come down on her and have her right there.

But her willpower continued to fight those delicious impulses and kept her under control.

But for how long?

"I think you desire me to the point where you're ready to go crazy, but you hide it by trying to force that position on me."

"Oh really?"

"Yes really." She scooted back and sat up. Seto eyed her, his eyes clouding a little. She loved that look. Damn him.

She was growing tired of playing these games. But if she did not continue to throw dice, she would tumble into that bed with him and finally give in to her primitive side. That dark, wonderful sensation in the depths of her character begging to be assuaged by the man in front of her.

"I think you're the one trying to turn the tables. Women; too damn manipulative and sexy for their own damn good." He leaned closer.

She felt an ache in between her legs and licked her lips nervously.

"_Just finish what you started earlier…give in, Anzu. You know you want to feel his naked body against you again. It was too damn good. Go on and do it…"_ a voice urged.

"I'm not just going to give into you…" she whispered in spite of herself.

"Not now, I figure. But I can wait for your walls to finally crumble. And when they do…" Their lips were only an inch apart. "You're mine." Before she could snap at him, their lips crashed.

Ok, a kiss was not the same as sex.

Her tongue agreed with her as it entered his mouth and danced along his. He groaned low in his throat and they fell back, kissing feverishly.

How did he get so far under her skin?

* * *

Anzu walked around in the mansion, still a little lightheaded from being with Seto. Somehow, she still got out of his bed with her virginity in tact.

"_But for how long?"_

She looked up to see servants carrying a large number of bags through the mansion, followed closely by a familiar, unpleasant face.

Minako smirked her pretty little smile at Anzu and approached her.

"Hello slut."

"Hello bitch." He snickered a little.

"Still haven't learned your place, have you?"

"What about you? Why aren't you under a rock where you belong?" Anzu asked mildly. Minako growled slightly.

"You'd better enjoying this while you can, because by the time the month is up; Kaiba is mine."

"You can keep dreaming, because I'm not handing him to you."

"Oh please, do you honestly think resisting him is going to keep him for much longer? Eventually, he's going to grow tired of tease and retreat. Men always do."

"I take it you know that from experience?" Anzu asked lightly.

"When he's sick of your little fun and games, he's finally quench his thirst with me." She traced a hand over one of her breasts, smirking. "And I'll be more than happy to accommodate him. And once he gives in; he and I shall be together forever."

"You disgust me!" Anzu hissed.

"Just own up to the fact that you have no chance with him anymore. And even if you do finally sleep with him, he'll grow tired of his little whore after a while." She circled Anzu like a vulture. Her beady eyed her cunningly. "He'll realize you're only here for his money and know he can't bother with you and come to a woman who will remain eternally loyal to him." Anzu's lips twitched to a smile.

"You're right." Minako arched an eyebrow.

"That is **exactly** how it will end with you. And you shall be thrown out to the streets to beg for bread and yen for the rest of your pathetic life."

"Why you little-"

"I was here first, and I have no intention of giving up to you. So do us both a favor and stay out of my way until you finally get your ass out of here." With that, she marched past Minako.

However, she started to feel some doubts in her mind.

"_What if she's right about my so-called tease and retreat? Will Kaiba really grow tired of me and go to her?"_ she asked. Anzu chomped on her nails nervously. _"Is my only option to sleep with him to keep him away from her?"_

She walked into the library and closed the door behind her slowly and sank to the floor.

"_I don't know what to do at this point."_

Should she finally give in, in spite of her original vows, and give herself to Seto Kaiba or just continue to tease and lure him, but never fully get caught in his trap?

Unfortunately, now, the first option was far more tempting to her than the second one.

What was she to do?

* * *

…**I…am…so…shocked… I actually wrote a chapter…and it sucked. That's a bummer…**

**Well, uh, I'm just gonna wing it and update before the next Ice Age so…yeah. Well, it was about 1500 words of pure drabble because I'm at a loss of ideas and at a loss for time to write. Oh, depression…**

**Well, I'll see you next update. I'll go crawl under my desk and cry for shame of the pitiful attempt of a chapter you all just read in the meantime. -Crawls under desk-**


	25. You Lose

**Hello everyone. I have come back with another update. Be happy. Ooh, and guess what? My band and guard MADE STATE BABY! I'm uber excited about it. Wish us luck in state next Tuesday!**

**We caked it to state! (It's a joke between guard and band. Guard made cakes for band and we wrote "Cake it to state" and such on em. It was so fun!)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh, meaning Seto and Anzu are not my characters. I merely own the plot of this story. So, steal my story and I will send an army of rabid lawyers after you. (Seriously…)**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Five**

_You…Lose…_

She stared at her reflection in the mirror and cocked her head to the side. Experimentally, she grabbed a fistful of her hair and twisted up into a bun, holding onto it with her hand and turned to see her face at an angle.

"I guess it could work…" she said softly, allowing her hair to fall and spread around her shoulders again.

"_Tomorrow's the end of the bet…"_ she told herself as she combed through her hair. _"I've won."_

"_Are you sure about that?"_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_Think about it. If you 'win' the bet and get your own room, Seto might seek a little comfort in Minako and invite her into this room. Your room. Your bed."_

She felt her cheeks flush red with anger at that thought. That stupid, ugly little witch with her pouty lips and bulbous eyes fluttering away at him as she slowly let her kimono slide off her shoulders. And him laying down, watching her.

She shook her head.

"_No way! It won't happen."_

"_I dunno. It could happen. Admit that it's not impossible."_

"_So what do I do? Just sleep with him tonight?"_

"_Don't be easy, love." _

She could almost imagine herself standing next to her. At least, a part of herself. Her lustful, dark-humored side of her.

Wearing a sexy black and red dress with a provocative smile, hair pinned up with strands falling into her face. Anzu blinked and looked over her shoulder to see that she was alone, but she could see that side of herself standing next to her in the mirror.

She placed her hands on Anzu's shoulders.

"Don't make him think you're easy, Anzu. You need to be yourself, and give him a challenge. Make him want you more once he has you. Don't make it so he takes you and he can be a smug asshole.

"No, what you need to do is tease him, awaken him, quench him momentarily, and then turn him into a starving mess who can only think to devour you and only you."

"How am I supposed to do that?" Anzu asked. She watched her "other self" smirk fiendishly.

"It's actually easier than it sounds. Don't worry; I'll be here to guide you. But you need to make the first move."

"Which would be what, exactly?"

"Tonight, whenever you're with him, make subtle little hints. Brush your leg against his for a moment, touch hands by 'accident.' Ask him if he's ready for bed a little earlier than usual, but do not look tired. Give him a little smile when you say it. But avoid being too blunt or else he'll either find you whorish or desperate for him."

"But I **am** desperate for him!" she confessed, cursing the truth.

"That may be, but **he** can't know that." Anzu licked her lips nervously.

"Fine, but what do I do if he doesn't catch on?"

"Trust me, he will."

"And when we come up here? What then?"

"First, when he changes into his nightwear, slide your kimono off your shoulders and sit on the bed. You need to look sexy but innocent. Make him want to rip that silk off your back. Once he gets heated, you need to be in control.

"Don't let his body completely overpower you. Make him ache for it. When he finally takes you, he has to be so crazed on desire that there is no more thought. Just want."

Anzu felt herself shiver in pleasure just imagining this. She saw her lustful side smirk.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" She nodded and swallowed, her throat feeling dry. "You need to make sure you do this right, though. Start the hints at dinner."

"What do I do about the slut?" Anzu asked.

"Tell the servants to tell her dinner will be served late."

"And they'll do it?"

"Trust me, dear; I'm sure they dislike her as much as you do." Anzu pursed her lips and nodded.

"Fine, I'll do it."

"Good, get to work then."

* * *

Seto sat at the table, waiting for dinner to be served. He was relieved to find Minako was not there to torture him, but disappointed when he saw that Anzu was not there either. She peeked around the corner at him and sighed.

"_I'm not sure I can do this…"_

"_Just relax, Anzu. Deep breaths."_

She inhaled and exhaled anxiously before smoothing her kimono and walking over to the table. He looked up at her.

"Ah, there you are. I was wondering if you were skipping dinner."

"No. I was just…freshening up a little." She smiled a little and sat next to him. He nodded.

"Alright." They sat there in silence for a moment. She blinked and then slid her right leg over and her silk clad thigh brushed his for a moment.

"Oops, sorry." She smiled at him, a little more suggestively then before, and pulled her leg away. She swore for a brief moment his face reddened a little before he took a sip of his tea. She grinned inwardly, feeling a pang of victory.

Two servants came with their dinner and set it down on the table and started to serve them.

They ate quietly and Anzu was careful, planning every move. Occasionally, when Seto reached to get something, she moved her hand and touched his. Her apologies were sweet and sincere, as if it was all accidental, but her little smirks suggested otherwise.

Dinner was soon finished and she felt a little sense of accomplishment. It was growing dark outside. She stood up and looked at Seto.

"Are you ready for bed?" she asked innocently, but another one of those grins playing on her lips. His answer, on the other hand, surprised her.

"Not yet. But, if you're tired, you can go ahead without me. I have some work to finish up tonight." He smiled coolly and stood up, patting her shoulder. "I will see you tomorrow morning." With that, he walked away. She stood there, mouth slightly agape.

"_What was THAT about?!"_

"_You got me. How the hell did my plans not work?!"_

"_Hey, you're in charge of lust. You tell me." _

"_Grr…"_

She groaned in defeat, feeling a total fool, and trudged away from the dining room, feeling slightly depressed.

Anzu hid in her library for about an hour and read books, hoping to lighten up her mood and cleanse her mind of the humiliation she had just endured. It was an epic failure.

Sighing, she decided to retreat to her bedroom.

At least, her temporary bedroom. Come tomorrow she'd be sleeping somewhere else.

--

Minako ate dinner quietly, alone. Her face was a poisonous scowl as she swallowed the cold food. The servants had not ever bothered to reheat it and it disgusted her.

Unbelievable! How could she have allowed herself to be tricked by the likes of them? These people who were beneath her!

Growling, she pushed her plate away – appetite spoiled.

"_This whole damn place is hell! I have got to win Kaiba over so I can have the power to expel all of these little two-faced bitches. Especially his little whore…"_

She took a sip of her tea and promptly spit it out.

"Cold tea?" she screeched. "Damn it!" She flung the cup and it shattered on the floor loudly. A servant came up to it and quickly cleaned the mess and another collected Minako's plate.

She narrowed her eyes.

"This whole place is plotted against me…" she said to herself in rage. "Well fine, if that's how it'll be. I won't give in so easy." She stood up and marched to her room.

Changing her kimonos, she observed herself in the mirror before applying a special night cream to keep her complexion blemish free.

Braiding her hair, she lay in her bed and closed her eyes.

"I won't lose to that little bitch…" she hissed.

* * *

Anzu walked into her room and didn't both to close the door behind her. Knowing Seto, he wouldn't be up anytime soon and most of the servants were in bed by now so there was no fear of anyone coming in and watching her change. She untied her obi and threw it aside carelessly.

However, she failed to notice the door closing behind her…

Tugging at her sleeve, she felt the cool air on her shoulder and shivered a little. A sudden bit of heat seemed to touch her naked shoulders. But before she could ponder, two arms snaked around her waist and she found herself against a tall, solid figure.

"You really thought your little tricks would fool me?" a sexy voice hissed in her ear. Her eyes widened slightly and she could almost feel the person behind her smirking. "The only thing they did was make me wait for you to have your guard down."

"You sneaky little-" He pressed her against him even tighter and she bit her lip to fight a quick yelp of pleasure.

"Let me clarify something, Anzu. I don't let women manipulate me. You can be as sexy as you want and butt heads with me, but I don't let control slip so easily."

"Could've fooled me…" she whispered seductively.

"Heh…" He eyed her pale flesh and brought one hand up to caress it. Smooth, almost lily white skin… His lips found it next and he kissed at her neck, her shoulders, and the top of her back.

She trembled at his soft lips and fought the urge to beg for more.

Anzu pulled away from him and looked at him. He watched her, clearing wondering what she would do next. Crossing her arms, she shook her head.

"Don't think I'm going to make this easy for you. You're in for hell tonight." He arched an eyebrow.

"Oh am I now?" She snatched the front of his clothes and pinned him down to the bed. His eyes widened and she grinned at the heat within their depths.

"Yes, you are." She pressed her mouth to his and her tongue rushed in, re-exploring her delicious territory. It didn't take long for him to join in on the action as his tongue started to play with hers.

His hands slid along her back, searching anxiously for the beginning of her silk. She pulled back before he could enter his tongue into her mouth and starting to pull off his clothes, staring hungrily at his chest.

A slight flush filled his cheeks as he watched her, not fighting her small hands as they hurriedly yanked away his clothes. Funny, the few times he indulged himself in this sort of thing, _**he**_ always got the clothes off the girl first.

He kinda of liked the fact that she was taking charge.

She ran her hands over his virile chest, trailing after her hands with her lips. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back in pure ecstasy in her delicious kisses. As her lips moved lower, he felt his body lose more of the silk until she was parallel with his hips and only a short inch away from his aching arousal.

She grinned fiendishly and stopped.

"_Damn it!"_

"Disappointed?" she asked, smirking at his scowl. "You have to earn it before I pleasure you."

"You little vixen." Now, it was her turn to be under him. She gasped as he quickly pulled off her kimono and tossed it over his shoulder carelessly. In less than a second, she was laying under him – completely and utterly naked.

Although, his state was hardly any better. His kimono was off his shoulders and barely covering his lower half.

Her eyes widened as his hand cupped her breasts and she moaned. She couldn't help it. As his thumbs pressed against her hard nipples, she honestly could not contain her desire – if she was ever even containing it period.

His mouth and tongue followed the example of his hands and she cried out in yearning, her breathing growing more ragged as she felt the ache between her legs grow.

"Seto!" she gasped, her voice hoarse and dripping with desire. He paused momentarily before trailing kisses down her soft belly, stopping just above her pelvis. She whimpered softly at the stop and he looked at her.

"'You have to earn it before I pleasure you,'" he said mockingly, a knowing smirk on his face. She was able to distort her face into a scowl.

"You asshole!" she snapped.

"That hurt, Anzu…"

"Shut up!" She pulled him down, offering a hard, demanding kiss. His hot tongue joined hers and it made them both grow frantic and aroused all over again, sharing an erotic series of kisses; allowing their tongues to dance wildly.

It wasn't long before she thought she would die from want, and all they were doing was kissing.

Her hands came back to life and quickly yanked off the remains of his clothes, flinging them away. He pulled away and looked at her, a faint hint of surprise in his expression, but more lust than anything. Her eyes moved lower and she took him in, her cheeks growing red.

He was…big. Seto smirked at her blush.

"First time you've seen one?" he asked. She nodded slowly.

In all the times they'd been so close, the times he'd been naked around her, she had never actually _seen_ what she wanted in between her legs.

She reached out and closed her fist around him. The guttural moan that came out of his mouth made her eyes cloud with hunger and she moved her hand and rubbed against him. He used his arms to support himself so he wouldn't collapse on top of her, but his elbows were shaking and he panted with each breath.

Finally, he stopped her hand with his – a brilliant scarlet claiming his cheeks and his body shaking slightly.

"Anzu…" he groaned, "if you keep that up, I will continue to have sex with you until morning. And believe me; if I did that, you wouldn't be able to move tomorrow." She licked her lips nervously at the thought of that.

Delicious sex with the man on top of her _all_ night long… That didn't sound too bad.

She smirked.

"Then maybe you should lie down." He arched an eyebrow and they quickly switched positions. He looked and saw her leg near his face and looked up to see a new angle of her that made him go even harder, if it was possible.

"Anzu, what are you-" He stopped dead when he felt her hand touch his hardness again and her hot breath against it.

"You've earned it, Seto…" she said, smirking. Her tongue darted out and he threw his head back and growled in pleasure as her tongue stroked him.

"A-Anzu…" She brought her mouth around it and her tongue continued to stroke and he let out a desperate groan, pupils dilating and hands fisting against the sheets as he tried to contain his pure and utter rapture caused by her mouth.

Finally, he knew he couldn't handle it anymore.

Seto quickly pulled her away from him before he completely exploded and gasped for breath. She licked her lips and crawled up to him, stroking his chest.

"How was that?" she whispered.

"You have no idea how damn good it felt…" he hissed, a little sweat forming on his temples. She grinned and could almost hear the lusty side of her praising her work.

Seto pushed her down and loomed over her, one hand sneaking in between her thighs.

"You've given me some fun, time to return the favor." He spread her legs apart and she gasped in anticipation, her eyes begging him to continue. Seto positioned himself and she felt him nudge her wetness.

He entered slowly and she gripped at the sheets, feeling the rapid rise and fall of her chest. He leaned forward and brought his lips close to her ear.

"I'll try to be careful so it doesn't hurt…" Despite herself, she said,

"I just want you inside of me, now!"

He pulled out of her for a moment and she moaned in protest. Suddenly, he thrust back in and she arched her back and started to yelp in pain from the destruction of her virgin barrier, but his lips stopped her from letting out more than a slight squeak.

His lips continued to press against her mouth, her cheeks, her jaw, and her ear repeatedly, trying to mollify the pain. After a few minutes, it went away and replaced itself with the most incredible satisfaction she had ever experienced.

"Are you alright?" he asked quietly. She played with some hair at the nape of his neck and nodded.

"Yes…" His body began to move in a wonderful rhythm, and hers automatically joined him. They no longer thought about what they were doing. The rest was completely instinct.

His pace started to go faster and faster until she felt herself come to the climax and she arched her back into him again, her arms going around him and clinging to him.

"Seto!" she gasped. He spilled his seeds into her and they both cried out in pleasure before collapsing against the bed. He leaned on his left to keep mot of his weight off her.

Right now, she could not have wanted anything more than to be under this man, feeling his warmth. He left her body for a brief moment before wrapped his arms around her again and pulling her tight against him.

For a moment, she believed their arousal would ignite again and they'd repeat their wonderful experience. But it didn't. He just held her and she snuggled up against him.

He buried kisses into her hair and she closed her eyes.

"Ready to sleep?" he asked. She nodded.

"I guess I lose…" she whispered, no particularly caring. Maybe she'd lost the bet, but she had won the most incredible night with Seto Kaiba imaginable, and possibly even more nights to come.

"Perhaps…but if it keeps that witch out of my bed, I don't particularly care."

"Same here…" He kissed her lips.

"I don't care if you agree of disagree with me, but you are mine." She snickered.

"Just because we sexed that automatically gives you the right to claim me?"

"Pretty much." She giggled and kissed his shoulder.

"Good night, Seto."

"Good night, Anzu."

* * *

**Yup, they finally did it. Anzu lost the bet, so now she and Seto share a bed. Um, I dunno if I'll bother with another full blown out lemon like this one. To be honest, it felt so weird to write one after so long. I hope it was decent.**

**There may be one more, two tops, but I don't know. I have an idea, but let's see if I remember it in a few months when I have to cross that bridge. **

**Review, please. I worked hard on this chapter. Lemons aren't really my thing. **


	26. The Game Grows More Dangerous

**Oh my God…oh my God…OH MY GOD! I'M UPDATING! :Loud applause and cheers with confetti being thrown everywhere. Even a marching band goes through playing some sort of victory song: I KNOW! OK, I was getting ready for my first day of classes when it suddenly hit me; AN IDEA! So, after I finished, I ran to my laptop, sat down, and began to type this junk, which isn't the story, and is probably making you all want to attack me in a rabid form of impatience. SO, without further ado, AN UPDATE!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Yugioh, meaning I don't own Seto or Anzu. I merely own the plot of the story and the cobwebs and dust that have settled on it over the past year or so.**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Six**

_The Game Grows More Dangerous_

In the murky slums of the town, stray dogs barked as they raced down the rotting road filled with debris. A lone figure stepped into a murky puddle and their mouth formed a grimacing frown as they continued to tread down the road towards a single building.

Opening the door, the bell jingled weakly and they stepped inside. It was a dark room with a single candle lit and a person sitting next to it, their face shrouded in shadows. Without even looking up, their lips twitched into a dark grin.

"So…you've come."

"Of course," came the cold-as-steel, feminine voice. The woman lowered their hood and approached the man sitting at the old, rotten wooden table, declining the offer to sit on a dusty, moth-eaten cushion rudely.

"Did you bring my compensation?" impatiently, the woman pulled a small sack from her cloak and pushed it to the man. He weighed the coins in his hand before nodding and tucking it away in his coat before setting some parchment down. "Here is everything I was able to find on Anzu Mazaki."

The woman snatched the documents and fingered through them, furrowing her brows as she did so.

"Apparently, she was a deadly assassin for the Northern Clan, headed by Yoshinori until recently."

"And recently she came to dig her slutty claws into Seto Kaiba." The man shrugged.

"It was difficult finding much on her. But I do know her family was killed in her infancy and she has been in the clan all of her life. Be cautious. She was the fastest and deadliest of her clan. If you push her too far, you may regret it, Minako."

She stepped into the light and revealed her face to him, glowering.

"Worry about your own hide." She grinned cruelly. "I now have a way to deal with this little pest once and for all." With that, she left his home swiftly and the man took a pipe and inhaled it deeply.

"A foolish woman…" he murmured deeply. "This game can only end in loss."

* * *

"I haven't seen Minako recently," Anzu sighed thoughtfully. She lay with Seto in his bed, both naked under the covers and holding each other in an intimate embrace. It boggled her mind how, only a few short weeks ago, she would have rather stab her own eyes out than be bedded by this man. Now, she looked forward to it above all other things.

"Thank God," Seto sighed, stroking her soft, brown hair gently. "Maybe she's finally given up and left us in peace."

"That would be nice," Anzu sighed. "But things are rarely that simple or perfect."

"True…" He smiled down at her and kissed her head. "Unless we're talking about you." She smirked and lightly punched his arm.

"Don't start saying such corny stuff. It's a turn off." He laughed lightly and hugged her closer, enjoying her soft, warm body against his. She could feel her eyelids getting heavier as she snuggled up against him.

"Tired?"

"Just a little?"

"Then sleep." She yawned and slowly closed her eyes and Seto did the same, feeling her soft breathing as she drifted to sleep. He soon followed suit and neither stirred when the door creaked open and shadowy figure sauntered into the room, looming over them.

"I know who you really are, whore," Minako's voice hissed. "And I'll make sure Seto is free of you." She turned and left, grabbing a fur coat before leaving the house in a chariot.

"Where to, Miss Minako?" the man asked her.

"Just go to the north and I'll tell you when to stop," she said coldly. The man nodded and they took off down the road.

* * *

It was a cloudy day with the threat of rain looming over Yoshinori's mansion. A series of assasins were training outside and stopped when a carriage rode up. Inside the heart of the mansion, Yoshinori sat in his office, looking over a series of scrolls, a stern frown on his face. A knock came on the door and Yoshinori looked up from the scroll he was reading.

"Enter," he stated simply. The door was opened by two men in black uniforms, their masks over their faces. Minako entered the room in a silk, red kimono with her hair up in a bun, lips painted red and white powder on her porcelain face.

"Yoshinori-san?"

"Yes. Who are you?" he asked, arching a brow at her. She smiled smoothly at him.

"My name is Minako. I believe I sent a messenger to you?"

"Hmm…yeah." He pulled out a piece of parchment and skimmed over it for a moment before looking up at her, his eyes half-lidded. "You claim to know the whereabouts of Anzu Mazaki?"

"I do. But first, I want to know what the story on her is."

"Why do you need to know that?" he asked.

"Call it personal curiosity."

"She was my finest assassin and she betrayed me by leaving. So now I want her back so I can show her what happens when you cross me." Minako arched a brow and smirked.

"Well, I want her to know what happens when you cross me as well. You see, while she was away, she became a whore and stole my fiancé from me, so I want her to pay. Unfortunately, he doesn't believe me when I tell him she's not who she appears to be."

"Well, don't fret, I'll be happy to take her off your hands."

"That's all I ask."

"So where can I find my little runaway?"

* * *

**Short, sweet, to the point. HOW DO YA LIKE THEM APPLES? It's time for a magical plot twist! I think I see an ending for this fic after all. I'M SO HAPPY!**

**Flame and I shall hunt you down with an army of rabid fans. Spare yourself that terrible fate by not flaming. You have been warned. Thank you!**


	27. Hit or Miss

**I AM SO SORRY I KEEP NEGLECTING THIS FANFIC! I swear to God, I will finish this! I finished Sunshine and Moonshine, so BY GOD, this fic will reach an ending! I swear it!**

**But seriously, thanks for being so patient, guys. At least it hasn't been a year…yet…**

**Disclaimer: Yugioh belongs to Kazuki Takahashi. I merely own any original characters and the plotline for this fanfic.**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Seven**

_Hit or Miss_

"So, how shall we go about this?"

"It's simple. We will make her lose everything, strip her and completely crush her until she only wishes for her meaningless life to end. We will show her how little she truly is in this world, and how only I gave her life any meaning or purpose." Minako's lips twitched into a vicious smile.

"I like your style, Yoshinori." He chuckled darkly.

"You do not head a clan like mine by showing mercy. Fear is the only way to instill your authority into your underlings. Fear and blood." She nodded and the carriage rocked as they rode down the snowy path. "So, let us finalize our strategy. We shall make Seto Kaiba believe Anzu has run off and is whoring herself behind his back by stashing money within her belongings. Then, we will arrange for him to walk in on what will appear to be her seducing another man."

"Knowing Seto, he'll throw her out of his manor immediately like the trashy whore she truly is." Yoshinori nodded with a smirk.

"Yes. And I will have my members collect her. I'm assuming the emotional trauma will throw off her fighting enough for them to drag her back. And then…I can have my fun."

"Do you plan to kill her?"

"Yes. First her mind, then her body. Every inch of her will perish under my hand. And I shall relish each moment of it."

"Sadistic, aren't you?"

"An understatement." She nodded.

"I'm tempted to see what you would do to her…but I would prefer to bed by future husband and make him understand there is no other woman in this world for him besides me." Yoshinori stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"Quite determined to catch this man, aren't you?"

"An understatement." He chuckled.

"Yes…quite the understatement." The carriage continued down the path and finally stopped in the village near Seto's manor. Yoshinori exited the carriage and offered a hand to Minako. Ruthless, deadly, and heartless as he was, he was still a gentleman and was not above offering a hand to a lady, especially a very lovely, poisonous little viper like this one.

"_Just the kind of lady friend I enjoy,"_ he thought with an inward smirk as he watched Minako step out elegantly. "Come, I have arranged for us to have the finest suites at this inn."

"You certainly know how to treat a lady, don't you? Are you really the infamous serpent of the north?" Minako asked, smirking.

"I am not above being a gentleman."

"What a charming notion," she purred, smirking. "I can see you bowing gallantly in the finest silks stained with blood and gore. Simply charming." Yoshinori blinked before throwing his head back and laughing.

"Ah, Minako-san, I do believe I like you. Come." They walked into the inn together.

* * *

"What's the matter, Seto?" Anzu asked. Seto blinked and looked over into her concerned blue eyes. "You've been acting strange for the last few days. Is something on your mind?"

"Oh…no. It's just…I suppose I'm antsy about what my next mission will be for the clan. It's been a while since I've had one and this calm before the storm feelings tends to make me nervous."

"I never imagined I'd see you nervous," Anzu pointed out, grinning. He shrugged, smiling a little.

"Anything is possible."

"That's true," she said and he took her hand, kissing the back of it sweetly. A servant knocked on the door and opened it slowly, bowing respectfully before the two.

"Excuse me, Master Kaiba, but dinner will be served shortly," he said.

"Very good." Seto turned and offered Anzu his hand. "Shall we?"

"Yes." He escorted her out of the room to the dining area. Entering the room, they both froze at the person sitting at the table, drinking some hot tea.

"Ah, Seto, Anzu, you're just in time," Minako said, smiling sweetly at them.

"Minako…why are you here?" Seto asked, gritting his teeth.

"I apologize for returning unannounced. I simply came here to deliver a note to you from the Clan in regards to your next mission, as well as remain here until I return home in a few weeks." She held up a scroll of parchment, smiling tranquilly and Seto took it from her.

"What is it?" Anzu asked. He frowned.

"I'm being called to a mission in the capital city for the next few days. They require me to go alone." He sighed and looked at her. "I'm afraid I must attend. Will you be alright here by yourself for the next few days?"

"Of course, don't worry about me," she said, smiling up at him kindly. He leaned down and brushed her lips to his and Minako dug her nails into her palms, frowning.

"Well, thank you, I suppose, Minako."

"Of course, Seto." The two sat down and felt the tension rise in the room. Dinner was served and Anzu ate her rice slowly, eyeing Minako warily. She sure as hell didn't trust her…

* * *

**I know, I know, it's short. But trust me! I have foreseen the ending of this fic and…you…guys may hate me for it, but I think it will be awesome!**

**I'm gonna go and write another chapter now, and hopefully finish this fic within the month or next month. **

**I'M SORRY FOR THE WAIT! I'll try harder, I swear! I wanna see this fic through to the end!**

**Please review, don't flame, and please don't hate me for keeping you waiting so long.**


	28. Love is Blind, Rage is Blinding

**Disclaimer: Yugioh belongs to Kazuki Takahashi. I merely own any original characters and the plotline for this fanfic.**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Eight**

_Love is Blind, Rage is Blinding_

Seto watched as his servants loaded his bags onto the carriage and Anzu stood at his side. He turned and looked at her, gently running his fingers through her hair.

"Promise me you won't be gone for long," she said.

"I promise." She smiled and stood on tiptoe, pressing her lips to his sweetly. He kissed her back, wrapping and arm around her waist and cunningly delving his tongue into her mouth, taking in her sweetness.

After a moment, he pulled back and took in her half-lidded eyes, flushed cheeks, and damp, rosy mouth. What an enticing picture…

He kissed her forehead before turning and entering the carriage. Anzu waved goodbye to the retreating carriage before going back inside the manor, sighing a little. Minako had taken off somewhere early that morning, so she had the manor all to herself.

She chose to go into the library and plucked a book from the shelf, plopping into the chair and reading it.

While she was locked away, Minako arrived at the inn and went to Yoshinori's room, knocking twice. He opened the door immediately and welcomed her inside.

"Did you get what we need?" she asked. He nodded and pulled out a brown wig. She turned and allowed him to pin her long, ebony hair up before setting the wig on her scalp carefully. She turned around and picked up a mirror, admiring herself.

"You do look very much like her now. Granted, your skin is a little too pale, but I doubt he'll notice. Especially not in a dark room."

"And how can we be certain she won't interfere when she's whoring herself to another?" Minako asked, adjusting the wig.

"It's quite simple. I've arranged for Kaiba to arrive back in two days. At that time, Anzu will receive an invitation to her friend, Naomi-san."

"Ah…how could I forget her?" Minako asked, smirking. "What a perfect idea. But wait, what if Seto asks Naomi about Anzu's whereabouts?"

"It won't really be Naomi."

"What?"

"It is not hard to pay someone to play a part. We'll have her meet Naomi at an inn and make sure the workers and our 'Naomi' are paid accomplices of ours, so Anzu cannot verify her alibi."

"You…are brilliant." Yoshinori smirked wickedly.

"You can't be the leader of the North if you cannot come up with something so trivial. Now then, let us go over the plan. I will see too it Anzu receives the note from Naomi tomorrow night. She will leave in the evening shortly before Seto comes home. You must see to it that the servants are occupied elsewhere and do not see her leave. I will send my own carriage so none of the servants can justify her.

"Then, you will let me into the manor, dressed as Anzu, and take me to Kaiba's bedroom. When he comes to the room, he will see what appears to be Anzu having sex to another man. We must make sure he does not see your face and you must not speak much except for moans and sounds of pleasure, or he may catch on. Understand?"

"Yes. Though I do believe I can imitate her voice enough to do more than just sounds of pleasure."

"Oh?" Minako cleared her throat.

"Hideki, ohhhh, Hideki!" she moaned in a voice that was startlingly similar to Anzu's.

"I'm impressed but…Hideki?"

"Do you honestly think I'd be stupid enough to shout your name in the height of passion, Yoshinori? He'd know something was wrong by your name alone!" Minako said, her voice normal again. Yoshinori nodded.

"An excellent point. Well then, now we know what the plan is. Then, the next phase will commence, but we will discuss that after phase one is complete. We cannot guarantee Seto will act exactly as according to plan to get rid of Anzu immediately, so we will need to deceive him a second time."

"Yes, I understand that. And we will also need to push him to break Anzu's spirit so she'll refuse to trust him."

"It's all a bit of a stretch, but I believe it will work. After all, a man is a man. And I feel Seto will, in the end, behave no differently than I predict." Yoshinori smirked.

"Though some would hardly call you a man," Minako mused.

"Oh yes, you're quite right. I'm more a demon than a man, which is precisely the way I like it." His lips curled up and Minako smirked, removing the wig.

* * *

"I wonder where all of the servants are today," Anzu said, looking around the deserted manor, Naomi's note in her hand. "I wanted to let them know I was going out meet Naomi tonight. Oh well, I suppose I can leave a note for them."

She took some parchment from Seto's office and scribbled a note, leaving it near the door before going outside to the carriage that awaited her.

"Anzu-san?" the driver asked.

"Yes."

"Naomi-san sent me to retrieve you," he said simply. She nodded and stepped inside the carriage and the horses took off. Minako looked out the window, watching her leave and smirked before taking Anzu's note and throwing it into the fire.

She looked at her reflection in the mirror and patted her hair. Aside from her eyes, she truly did look like Anzu. She'd put a powder in her face to add warmth to her flesh and wore Anzu's favorite silk kimono with the koi-fish.

A small knock came and she opened the door to see Yoshinori. Only, he was different. He'd covered his scar and wore a shorter wig. His face somehow seemed younger, more handsome. Minako almost asked him what he'd done to achieve this, but decided against it and led him inside.

"So, is Seto on his way?" she asked.

"Yes. He should be here within the hour, so let's hurry." She nodded and led him up the stairs to Seto's room.

"You realize this is not real, so don't get any funny ideas," she said as she started to undo her obi. Yoshinori rolled his eyes.

"Trust me, you're not my type." He began to remove his clothes and they both stood naked and awkwardly crawled into the bed.

"Wait, we don't look like we've been having sex for the past three hours."

"Well, what exactly am I supposed to do about that?"

"I don't know! Look sweatier or something." Yoshinori frowned down at her.

"Yes, because I can spontaneously cause my body to sweat, Minako." She opened her mouth to speak when they heard the door downstairs close.

"He's here! Hurry!" They began to move awkwardly, trying to look like he was pounding into her under the sheets, which felt uncomfortable and awkward for them both.

"Moan or something!" he hissed.

"Ahh…mmm…" Minako gasped out, closing her eyes, trying to pretend it was Seto on top of her, which allowed her cheeks to redden slightly.

"Good…" Yoshinori hissed, tightening his grip on the sheets as he moved, the sounds helping him feel more aroused as he moved his hips against hers without entering her body. He let out a slow groan and Minako moaned again.

"Ohh, Hideki…" she drawled, sounding like Anzu.

"Mmm, Anzu," he purred, nibbling on her ear to heighten her pleasure. He could hear the footsteps as clear as day, but pretended to be too lost in pleasure to notice. "Anzu!"

The footsteps froze and he resisted the urge to smirk as he felt Seto's eyes burn onto them.

"Hideki, more!" Minako pleaded, but her hands on his back indicated that she felt him there too. They continued to move together, ignoring Seto's burning presence, each eliciting obnoxiously loud sounds of pleasure until the retreating footsteps and the sound of slamming door made them stop.

"So…he left," Yoshinori said, getting off Minako and dressing himself.

"So it would seem. You were convincing," Minako said as she also began to get dressed, fixing the wig. She looked outside and saw Seto's carriage racing away and smirked, yanking off the brunette hair. "We're safe."

"Good. I have a spy watching Seto, ready to execute phase two if necessary."

"What is phase two anyway?" Minako asked, ruffling her black hair.

"Seto buys another whore."

"What? Alright, one was bad enough for me to deal with, but two?"

"Hold it, hold it, listen to me first before you get upset. I've hired a girl to act as his whore and be nothing but a sex object, so Anzu will feel like she's nothing to him. When the time is right, Anzu will leave the manor alone to go to the village and this girl will take Seto there and we will set it up so Anzu looks like she's whoring to another man in an alley."

"Mmm…and Seto will want nothing to do with such a vicious little slut. Brilliant," Minako purred.

"Thank you. Now, we don't have much time. Go and wash up and meet me at the inn. Don't let anyone see you."

"Alright."

* * *

Seto growled as her punched yet another hole in the wall of the inn he stayed at before sitting on his bed, his fists clenching tightly enough to draw blood. How could she do this to him?

After all they'd been through…she would just give herself to another man? And in his bed, no less!

How many others were there? Was it one? Two? Ten? Seto growled and clenched his fists tighter before getting up and going out to the village for some sake to calm his nerves. He rarely indulged in the lowly pleasure, but in this case, he felt it would ease his mind.

Sitting at the bar, he took a swig from the bottle and frowned bitterly.

"Oh my, I'm not used to seeing such a handsome man around these parts," a honey-sweet voice drawled. Seto turned to see a woman smiling at him. She was petite with long, red hair and brown eyes, wearing a short, black kimono that was parted to reveal part of her cleavage. "Looking for some company?"

"And what's the price?" he asked coldly. She gave him a toothy smile.

"For you? Free." He arched a brow and eyed her up and down. She was pretty plain aside from her long hair, and she wore too much make-up. Her bosom was a little too small for the kimono she wore, but her legs were nice. He stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"Free, hm? Well, what do you say to a little contract?" he asked.

"Keep talking."

"_She thinks she can fool around on me, does she? Well, I'll show her what happens when you mess with Seto Kaiba."_

From a stool nearby, Yoshinori smirked as the woman nodded to Seto. He turned from her and she smiled at Yoshinori viciously before sitting next to him, smiling sweetly.

"What's your name, anyway?" Seto asked.

"Shizuka. Kawai Shizuka."

"We'll be leaving first thing tomorrow, Shizuka. Meet me back here with all of your things."

"Yes, Kaiba-san," she said.

* * *

**Alright. Let me just say I'm sorry to all Silentshippers out there, but I hate that pairing. So I'm bitch slapping it with this fic. I don't hate Shizuka, but for the sake of my story, I think you guys may hate what I did to her character. But, keep in mind; she's not a bitch just to be a bitch. She's a paid pawn, simple as that.**

**So, here's your next chapter. I'll update again soon. Bye for now!**

**(NO FLAMES!)**

**I'd love 10 reviews before the next update please.**


	29. Lower than Dirt

**And, THIS is one chapter that really proves the rated-M pairing. I'm gonna go ahead and give you a warning – rape is involved in the following chapter. So…be ready for it, guys. **

**Thanks for reviewing, the next chapter…I'm trying to write it out, but it's taking a while, so please bear with me. And…I know it's been almost three months, but at least it hasn't been a year. It keeps feeling like time is going too fast…**

**Disclaimer: Yugioh belongs to Kazuki Takahashi. I merely own any original characters and the plotline for this fanfic.**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Nine**

_Lower than Dirt_

Anzu was drinking some tea alone when a maid ran to her.

"Anzu-san, Master Seto has returned home!" she chirped and Anzu smiled, getting up to go and greet him. She ran outside, smiling broadly as Seto stepped out of the carriage.

"Seto, you're home earlier than I th-" She stopped when she saw Seto help a young woman out of the carriage. Anzu furrowed her brows slightly. "Ah…who is this?" Seto frowned at her coldly.

"Not that it's your place to ask, but this is Shizuka – the newest woman I've contracted."

"Contracted? Her?" Anzu asked, a look of confusion on her beautiful face.

"Yes," Seto said simply. "I decided one woman was not enough, so I commissioned her as well. She will be sharing my bed as well, so be courteous. If I decide I only want one of you, I'll simply have you stay in the guest bed." He walked past her and handed his coat to a servant. "Take Shizuka's bags to my room immediately."

"Y-yes sir." Anzu stood frozen on the spot, staring at nothing. Shizuka walked up to her, smiling sweetly.

"Well, that's a contractor for you. Sometime they decide one's not enough. Don't worry, though, I'm sure we can be good friends. Besides, he's rich enough to pay handsomely once we're out of our contracts."

"Y-yeah." Shizuka arched a brow.

"What? Don't tell me you thought you were special to him?" Anzu looked up, her eyes watering slightly and Shizuka tsked. "Sweetheart, men are all the same. Their sweet words are nothing but lip service to keep us in their beds until they're bored. When a man pays to make you his bed toy, you're never going to be anything more to him than that. Deluding yourself will only hurt you in the end."

"But…" Anzu whispered almost inaudibly.

"Sex is for nothing but pleasure. Anyone who believes it could possibly mean anything else is a fool," she said, marching past her to the manor, her hair flowing behind her.

"Nothing but pleasure..." Anzu whispered, a single tear falling down her face. "That's really all I am to him?"

* * *

Anzu lay in the bed alone, tears still stinging her eyes. Seto had only let her sleep in his bed the first night Shizuka had come, before telling her to sleep in the guest room for the past week.

The room felt cold and lonely compared to what she was used to. She realized she missed his warm body against hers. His loving touch…his soft kisses…

She hugged herself, biting back a sob.

"What have I done to make him act this way?" she whispered. "It's like he's a completely different person from the one who left on his trip a few weeks ago…"

Suddenly, she frowned and sat up, glaring at the door.

"Well, if that's how it's going to be, then the hell with it!" Let him screw that whore until she explodes. What did she care? After all, it meant she could break whatever idiotic emotional attachment she had for him anyway!

She was not a sniveling little girl! She was Anzu Mazaki, the deadliest assassin from the Northern Clan!

Seto Kaiba was just a pawn for her freedom, so he could do whatever the hell he wanted with other women. She'd been foolish to even believe for an instant she harbored feelings for him.

Feeling rejuvenated, she turned onto her side and fell asleep until the sun rose. Changing, she went outside in a tighter uniform that allowed more mobility than a kimono and began to run down the path, exercising her underused muscles again.

She appreciated the burning in her arms and legs and continued on, working out her body again. The trees were still coated with snow, but spring would arrive soon to melt it. But the biting cold was only welcomed by her, as her cheeks flushed and her breath made little puffs in the air.

She leapt over the root and rounded a tree, going back the way she came towards the manor, her hair flying around her face. By the time she got back, she was panting slightly and sweat was gathering on her forehead, but she felt good. Wandering towards the baths, she began to disrobe, sinking into the steaming water with a contented sigh.

"How nice…" she said, feeling better than she had in weeks. "Who needs any of that? I can be content with things this way anyway." She washed her hair, smelling the sweetness of the soap and rinsed off the dirt and sweat from her run.

"And where were you?" a cold voice asked from behind her. She turned to see Seto, glaring down at her. She frowned.

"Out for a run," she said simply. "I assumed it wouldn't matter to you if I went to exercise for a change."

"Actually, it does bother me. You're my property and you have no right to come and go however you please."

"Excuse me?" she hissed. "I'm your property?"

"Yes. Your contract says you are mine to do with as I will. And I do not like my things leaving without permission. For all I know, someone else could have been playing with my toy." He glared at her sharply, memories of that night flooding into her mind.

"Well, believe what you will, but I am not going to let you chain me down, especially when you've paid me no mind for the last week. So why do you suddenly care what I do now?" He grabbed her wrist and yanked her so she was face-to-face with him.

"You little worm, how dare you speak to me that way!" he growled, slamming her down on the cold ground, her soaked body trying to escape him. "I think I need to teach you a lesson about your place, slave." He practically ripped his clothes off of his body and pinned her hands down above her head.

Her blue eyes were ringed with fear as he roughly claimed her lips, nipping and biting brutally as his tongue twisted around her mouth forcefully. He pinned both of her wrists with one hand while the other squeezed her breast, pinching the nipple and twisting it, causing her to cry out in pain.

She tried to free herself, but he was physically stronger than her and he made certain he trapped any part of her that could even try to fight him.

"Seto, please!" she begged, tears forming in her eyes, but he refused to budge. He pinched her other nipple harshly and she shrieked, the tears running down her face as he continued to mercilessly abuse her body with his hand, teeth, and mouth. The discomfort and shame made it impossible for any pleasure to arise on her end as she tried desperately to wriggle away from him, but to no avail.

"What now, whore? Isn't this what you wanted?" Seto hissed cruelly, grabbing a linen and tying her wrists up so he could use both of his hands to torment her already bruising form.

"No, Seto, stop!" she pleaded as he bit her neck hard enough to draw blood.

"Or what?" he growled, forcibly spreading her damp thighs apart and shoving his arousal inside, causing her to cry out in pain, tears coursing down her face. He continued to thrust in and out of her hard and fast, growling and groaning as he bit her neck, lapping the blood as she continued to scream until she was hoarse.

He hissed as he released into her and finally stopped, the only sound between the two was her quiet sobs. Seto withdrew from her body and quickly got dressed, looking at her trembling, tearful form. He roughly yanked the linen off her wrists and she crawled away from him, hugging herself as she continued to shake like a leaf.

"Hurry and dress yourself and come to breakfast," Seto commanded emotionlessly, turning his back to her. "I won't tolerate tardiness from you." And with that, he was gone.

Anzu dressed herself carefully, her entire body aching from his actions as she continued to cry. When she came to breakfast, her eyes were still puffy and her skin was white. Shizuka and Minako scoffed at her appearance, both women radiant in their silk and make-up.

"What's the matter with you?" Shizuka hissed. "Letting your master see you in such a state is disgraceful!"

"I don't care…" Anzu whispered bitterly. "Let him see me however he wishes, I simply don't care. I'm nothing but dirt to him anyway." Shizuka sighed.

"That may be true, but that's hardly an excuse." Anzu frowned and turned to her food, refusing to look at anyone. Seto ate casually.

"Anzu, you will be staying in my room tonight, as will you, Shizuka."

"Yes, Kaiba-san," Shizuka said. Anzu said nothing.

"Anzu, are you deaf?"

"No, Kaiba-san," she said quietly.

"Then I assume you heard what I said?"

"Yes."

"Then you acknowledge it, understood."

"…yes, Kaiba-san." Minako smirked and drank her tea quietly. Once breakfast was over, she took a carriage to the village and met Yoshinori at a teahouse.

"And?"

"He's slowly but surely breaking her spirit. She is starting to see herself as nothing but dirt. It shouldn't take too much more." Yoshinori smirked.

"Excellent. Then let's finish phase two in three days. Anzu needs to go to the village alone. See to it that Shizuka keeps Seto at the manor and give Anzu a reason to go."

"Simple enough."

"Excellent." He smirked.

* * *

…**don't kill me, please. I'm so sorry, I really am! I know this chapter is a slap in the face, but trust me, it had to be done. The plot is in motion again. **

**I'd like 10 reviews before I update again, and please no flames or hate, but I'll update as soon as I can actually finish the next chapter. Remember, favorites are nice, but reviews tell me what you all like, dislike, and what I'm doing right or wrong with these chapters. This story has to have a dramatic turn and this was what it boiled down to.**

**So I will see you all (hopefully) soon. If not by the end of the year, happy holidays.**


	30. The Final Blows

**Ok, that's it. I am so sick of slacking off on this fic and now updating it as much as I should so you know what guys? I have written out the rest of this fic and I will update once every single week. You all will have an ending to this fic! I promise!**

**I am so friggin sorry, and thank you everyone who has not hunted me down for not updating. This story is going to have a conclusion!**

**Disclaimer: Yugioh belongs to Kazuki Takahashi. I merely own any original characters and the plotline for this fanfic.**

* * *

**Chapter Thirty**

_The Final Blows_

"So, let me get this straight, you want me to ruin Anzu's obis so she has to go to the village to buy new ones and then you want me to take Seto to the village to one of the alleys where you will be pretending to be Anzu and you will be a man she is whoring herself to?" Shizuka asked, stroking her chin thoughtfully. Yoshinori set down his cup and nodded.

"Yes, do you think you can handle that?"

"Well, what's in it for me?" Shizuka asked, frowning. "Keep in mind, you're asking an awful lot of me lately and I have my brother to think about." Yoshinori handed her a bag filled with money and she looked inside.

"Is that enough incentive for you?" he asked. She smiled and tucked the pouch into her kimono with a slight nod of her head.

"Alright, I'm listening." He smirked.

"Minako and I will be in an alley across from the main market area. You need to bring Seto there at the appointed time and make sure to avoid the real Anzu. We'll have others there to help ensure that, but make sure your guard is up."

"Understood," Shizuka said with a nod. Minako smirked a little.

"So then, tomorrow?" she said. Shizuka nodded.

"Do you have a cover for how Anzu's obi will be destroyed?" Yoshinori asked.

"I believe I do," she purred, smirking and twirling a lock of her red hair.

* * *

"Oh no!"

Two servants ran into the guest room where Anzu was and gasped. A little kitten was on a pile of Anzu's, now shredded, obi with a scrap of silk in its mouth. It blinked up at them innocently and meowed cutely.

"Oh no, Miss Anzu, your obi are ruined," the maid said, gently shooing the cat off the ruined silk. The kitten rubbed against Anzu's legs and she exhaled slowly, running a hand through her bangs.

"I suppose I'll have to go to the market now…" she sighed, looking at the cat with a small smile. "And I better try to figure out where you came from." The kitten meowed and she scratched behind its ears before standing up and walking out of the room to look for Seto.

She felt a sick, heavy feeling in the pit of her stomach as she thought of seeing him… Ever since the other day in the bath, she was wary of being near him. For the last two days, any sex had been rough and painful on her part and she knew her flesh was dotted with a variety of bruises… The days of gentle lovemaking and sweet whispers was completely buried in the past it would seem and she couldn't help but wonder if she'd concocted those days in her mind.

Swallowing, she shook her head and approached the door to the office he had and knocked slowly.

"Kaiba-san?"

"Damn…" the gruff voice said quietly and she heard the rustling of clothes briefly. "Come in." She shakily opened the door and saw Seto sitting at his desk, Shizuka standing at his side, adjusting her kimono. It didn't take much power of deduction to realize what exactly had been conspiring between them, which only made the sick feeling in her stomach grow.

"Er…I'm sorry to interrupt but…my obi have been destroyed and I need to go to the village to get replacements." Seto sighed a bit but reached into a drawer and set a small pouch on his desk.

"There. That ought to be enough to buy replacements."

"You…want me to go alone?" she asked, not sure if she wanted him to go, but terrified of what would happen if she tried to leave without him escorting her. Her thoughts flew back to the bath but he broke her out of it when he spoke again.

"I am busy at the moment, have a servant drive you and be home for dinner," he said simply, waving her off dismissively. Anzu closed her eyes briefly and her hand darted for the coin pouch before she turned and hurried out of the office, a mixture of relief and sadness swirling in the pit of her stomach.

It ashamed her to no end…how she had fallen so easily and was so willing to forget the recent abuse he had inflicted upon her for the sake of her girlish desires. She could not bring herself to hate this man, despite the fact that he continuously degraded her value as a human being and defiled her body wickedly while his other whore was treated like a princess.

It sickened her…

Was this how he played? Woo the girls with sweet words and touches, and then grow bored once she succumbed and he found another beautiful face and willing body?

"Despicable…" she hissed as she sat in the carriage, tightening her grip on the coin pouch. She had foolishly fallen for his façade of kindness, and now her heart was being tried.

Shaking her head, the carriage came to a stop and she stepped out, walking down the streets to find the shop she normally picked out her kimono and obi. She would just have to endure until the contract expired.

With newfound resolve, she held her head up and entered the shop, a bright smile on her face as she greeted the shopkeeper, unaware of the hateful eyes that followed her.

"Looks like Shizuka played her part well. Now let's get ready."

"Right," Minako whispered as she followed Yoshinori. She put on her wig and dusted off the copy of Anzu's kimono. "When will she be here?"

"Soon. One of my men is watching out for them."

"Well, they better hurry. It won't take her long to pick out some new obi." Minako glanced back at the shop nervously and Yoshinori chuckled.

"How cute, you underestimate me. I have means of keeping her distracted long enough for our plan to be set into full motion. Trust me, tonight, you will have him back." Minako smiled and nodded, her eyes glittering.

"Yes, you're right!" They stood in the alley together, watching people pass them casually as they waited for the sign they needed. Anzu walked out of the shop and Yoshinori nodded to a woman who walked over to her.

"Excuse me, dear, would you care for a free cup of tea?"

"Oh I don't think so; I really ought to be getting back."

"Oh but it'll take a minute, and I made too much black tea, and I would hate for it to go to waste." Anzu hesitated but sighed and nodded.

"Alright, I suppose I can spare a minute." The woman beamed and grabbed Anzu's hand, leading her to a small tea shop and Yoshinori smirked.

"Perfect. And Shizuka should be arriving at any moment."

"She'd better hurry." A woman walked by and opened a colorful fan, waving it twice as she passed their alley.

"That's the signal," Yoshinori whispered and Minako nodded, pressing her back to the wall of the alley as Yoshinori moved closer to her. She closed her eyes and he pressed his mouth to hers roughly.

* * *

"I'm so sorry to drag you out here like this, Kaiba-san. I can't imagine why that cat would tear up my obis like that," Shizuka sighed, shaking her head.

"It's alright; I'm having the servants take care of it. It probably got in through an open window." The two were walking through the village, Shizuka's arm looped through Seto's as they navigated through the busy streets.

"I think the shop is just a bit father ahead." Seto nodded and they rounded a corner, passing some shops and alleys. Seto paused when he caught a flash of a familiar color of silk in the corner of his eye and froze. "Hm? Kaiba-san?"

He stood rigid, his nails digging into his palms as he glared menacingly at the site before him.

Pressed up against the wall, her kimono hiked up her leg was Anzu, a man fondling her leg as he kissed her hard. Shizuka gasped in feigned horror at the sight, clutching at her chest.

"How indecent! Has she no values?" She shook her head and looked up at Seto, whose face was as hard as steel.

"Apparently not…" Seto hissed, marching over to them and grabbing the man's shoulder roughly, glaring at him. He failed to get a good look at Minako and she covered her face as if she were embarrassed. "I hope you enjoy her, she is quite eager to get around." He turned his attention to "Anzu" and took half a step toward her. "I hope he was worth, you disgusting, dirty whore!" he snarled as he moved away from her. "If you just wanted a man between your legs, might I suggest a whore house? You can make money faster than a contract!" he spat, grabbing Shizuka's arm and dragging her away.

Minako peeked through her fingers and lowered her hands, cackling.

"That went better than I dreamed!"

"He's like a woman," Yoshinori chortled, "so quick to jump and so melodramatic." Minako ripped off her wig, ruffling her ebony hair as she continued to laugh wickedly befpre she composed herself.

"So what do we do if he doesn't end her contract?"

"Minako, don't worry. I'm certain he will do it; he's not exactly difficult to read. When Anzu returns to the manor, Kaiba will want nothing to do with her. And then she will be mine again…"

"Perfect. Just keep her as far away from him as you possibly can."

"Don't you worry. When I'm finished with her, she'll never have the strength to attempt coming anywhere near here again."

* * *

**Yes, Minako managed to trick Seto again. I swear, I'm not trying to make him stupid, he's just letting his emotions take control of him and cloud his reasoning and judgment.**

**Anyway, sorry if this wasn't the most riveting chapter to wait so many months for, but I promise it's gonna get better. The next chapter will be posted in one week. No later. I swear it!**

**Reviews are nice, please don't pointlessly flame. Constructive criticism is appreciated too.**


	31. Shattering Everything

**As promised, here is the next chapter. I told you guys you would get an update once every week, and I meant it!**

**Disclaimer: Yugioh belongs to Kazuki Takahashi. I merely own any original characters and the plotline for this fanfic.**

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-One**

_Shattering Everything_

Anzu carried her obi away from the carriage, looking up at the sky with a slight exhale of breath. She was irritated for all the people who continually delayed her trip home, but she was glad to finally back at the manor. A servant stood by the entrance, fidgeting anxiously and Anzu furrowed her brows, wondering what was going on.

"A-Anzu-san," the servant stammered when she saw her.

"Yes, what is it?"

"W-well…" Anzu looked up to see Seto walking into the doorway, his eyes narrowed. She inwardly cringed, figuring he was angry with her for being late for dinner.

"Kaiba-san, I'm sorry. I got distracted at the market and I lost track of time."

"Oh, I'm quite aware of these little distractions of yours," he said bitterly and she looked up at him with confusion.

"What do you mean?" Seto snapped his fingers and two women came up to him, hanging their heads. Anzu blinked when she realized they were each carrying her clothes. Seto seized them and flung them at her, causing her to drop the new obi on the ground in surprise. "W-what…?"

"You are never allowed to come here again," Seto growled, flinging a bag filled with money onto some of the clothes. "I am ending your contract," he tore the parchment in his hand hatefully and flung it to the ground, spitting on it, "and you are to leave my home immediately."

"Wait, why are you doing this?" she cried, feeling her heart pound painfully and her face flush with anger.

"I refuse to bed a vile, disgusting whore, let alone contract them. You can spread your legs for other lowly men, but I will no longer have it. Now leave, or I will have you killed." His servants shuffled inside quietly, their heads still bowed as he slammed the door shut, leaving Anzu outside in the cold alone.

She sank to her knees, staring at the door in utter disbelief. A chilling wind howled as it carried the ripped remnants of her contract far away and she looked around at the silk kimonos scattered around her along with the large pouch of yen.

"Why?" she whispered, gathering everything up in slow stupor, her hands trembling. "What have I done to deserve this treatment from him? How have I angered him?" She turned and walked away from the manor slowly, struggling to carry her clothes and the money.

She trudged down the path until she arrived at the village, cold and trembling with tears on her face as she approached the inn.

The man behind the counter greeted her but paused when he saw her.

"Are you alright?" he asked, hurrying over to her.

"I'm alright…" she whispered. "Please, may I have a room for the night?" she asked, holding out some yen to him. He nodded.

"Of course, of course. Here, let me help you." Her took some of her clothes and walked to the room with her, offering her an extra blanket and a cup of tea, which she accepted. The innkeeper set the cup before her as she wrapped up in the warmth of the blanket. "What happened to you?"

"It's a long story," she whispered, sipping some of the tea.

"Ah, I see. Well, you stay here as long as you need to, ok?"

"Thank you, I appreciate it." He nodded and pat her arm.

"Get some rest and try to keep warm, it's going to be cold tonight."

"Yes, I will. Thank you." The innkeeper stood up and smiled at her before closing the door. Anzu finished her tea and lay down in her bed, staring up at the ceiling for a while.

She tried to understand what had just happened to her…

She's left the Northern Clan only to be forced into a contract as a sex slave. Her patron had played with her heart and her body. He came off as caring but in actuality he was heartless and cruel. Once he had what he wanted in women, he threw them away…

It was a shame she did not get to speak to Shizuka again, she might have been able to warn her about him…

Then again, Seto doted on her constantly, so perhaps she was lucky and had nothing to worry about…unless Set found someone else who caught his eye.

Shockingly, Minako had been the lucky one in all of this. She'd never been abused, humiliated, raped…she'd pretty much been ignored, which would have been a blessing for Anzu. If he'd just ignored her, she couldn't have fallen in love…or gotten her heart shattered into a million pieces.

"No sense thinking over the past now…" Anzu whispered to herself as a weak attempt for comfort. "I'll have to decide what I want to do tomorrow." She rolled onto her side and closed her eyes, letting sleep fill her head slowly, praying for a dreamless sleep.

Deep into the night, a man dressed in black, wearing a white mask, entered the inn.

"Which room?" he asked the man at the counter.

"Room 5." The masked man nodded and the innkeeper handed him the key, watching him disappear down the hallway as he closed his eyes. "Forgive me…"

The door opened slowly and they crept inside like a shadow, looming over the sleeping girl. He reached down and her eyes flew open, a scream escaping as she saw the figure, aiming a kick for the stomach as she rolled backwards, getting into a defensive stance.

"Heh…I'm impressed. You haven't lost your touch, Anzu."

"You're from the Northern Clan…come to take me back to Yoshinori?" she growled.

"My, aren't you perceptive. Why don't you make this easier for both of us and come quietly?"

"If you know anything about me…I never go with anyone quietly." She ran at the man, punching at him and throwing some good kicks, but he seemed to be able to read her moves and dodged each one perfectly. She grunted and flipped back from one of his attacks, nearly stumbling on the bed but catching herself.

"Just as I thought, you have gotten sloppy." She gasped as he lunged at her and pressed a cloth to her mouth and nose. It had an unusual scent, and within a matter of seconds, her vision blurred and she collapsed in the man's arms, his wicked chortle the last thing she heard.

* * *

"Would you care for another drink, sir?"

Seto slammed down the glass, his gaze slightly glassy and his throat still burning from the sake, but he nodded.

"Don't bother asking, just keep them coming," he grumbled. It'd been about five days…or maybe six, he couldn't really remember…regardless, sake had become his new, favorite beverage in the time since she had crawled away from his manor like the pathetic nobody she was.

He continued to down the glasses and watched the scantily dressed women dance about the room, hoping to spark the interest of some wealthy man. Seto waved two women over, one with long blonde hair and purple eyes and the other with tanned skin, jade eyes, and long black hair.

"How may we help you this evening?"

"How much for one night?" he asked, his speech slightly slurred and his head spinning. They both grinned.

"20,000 yen each."

"Fine, let's go," he said, standing up and wobbling a bit as he placed the money on the counter. Both women beamed and hooked arms with him, leading him outside to the waiting carriage. They rode back to the manor, Seto completely silent the entire way, and walked inside with him.

"Shizuka, you will sleep in the guest bedroom tonight," Seto told her in an off-hand manner and she bowed.

"Yes, Kaiba-san." He walked upstairs with the two whores and Minako frowned slightly.

"He's been bringing more women to his room than before!" Shizuka chortled and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Well, you were the cause of this, Minako. Better accept that he's now a drunken man with a taste for drowning out his sorrows in whores." Minako narrowed her eyes and brought her hand across Shizuka's cheek, knocking the red-head to the floor.

"How dare you! Don't forget, you're nothing more than a dirty little whore yourself," she spat. Shizuka winced, her cheek smarting and she frowned up at Minako but decided it wise to not say anything to her as she glared down at her viciously. "You better learn your place, girl! I'm a noblewoman, which is something you'll never ever become even close to being."

"Hah," Shizuka said quietly and Minako rounded on her, slapping her hard enough to cause a bruise. "Don't take it out on me that your boy isn't crawling to you! I did my part and helped you get rid of the other girl, now you better do your part and give me the money you promised!"

"Tch, why should I even bother with you?"

"Because if you don't, I'll tell Kaiba the truth about you and about Anzu, and the deal you made with Yoshinori."

"As if he'll believe any of that!"

"He believed your lies, didn't he?" Shizuka asked, smirking as she stood up. "Noblewoman or not, you are still as foolish as any wretch I've met, so I advise you not go back on your word if you want to ever have a chance with your dear Kaiba." Minako narrowed her eyes and Shizuka met her gaze coldly.

"Fine! I'll give you the money in the morning, and then you get out of here for good."

"With pleasure," Shizuka stated coolly. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I believe some ice for my cheek is in order." She sauntered off and Minako frowned, crossing her arms over her chest, grumbling obscenities under her breath.

She turned and began walking off to her bedroom and fished around the chest for her yen.

"Damn it, where is it?" she snapped, digging through her kimono.

"Looking for something?" a cold voice asked and she froze, turning to see Seto with a small pouch of yen in his hand.

"K-Kaiba-san. What brings you here?" she asked with a small smile, her stomach knotting with anxiety at the look in his eyes.

"I couldn't help but overhear you and Shizuka talking…something about her helping you get rid of the other girl and lying to me? Care to elaborate?"

"I'm certain I have no idea what you're talking about," she said indignantly, hoping he would believe her. Seto approached her and grabbed her by the throat, forcing her to her feet.

"Minako, I am not a patient man…and I am not afraid to kill anyone, which includes you. So if you don't talk now, I will be more than happy to break your neck." Minako gasped and gripping his hands, her eyes widening as she trembled in fear.

"P-please don't," she pleaded.

"Then talk!" he growled. "What did you do?"

"I…I found out that Anzu was an assassin for the Northern Clan and made a deal with their leader, Yoshinori. I got you to release her and break the contract so he could take her back and then you and I could finally be together."

"So…all those times…when I saw her with another man…?" he asked in disbelief, tightening his grip on her and causing tears to fall from her eyes as she nodded slowly.

"Yes…I did that. I dressed up as her and used Shizuka to make sure you saw it each time. I made sure the servants could not create an alibi for her so she could not plead her innocence."

"Where is she?" he snarled and she shook her head slightly.

"I-I don't know, I just know Yoshinori wanted her. I never asked what he planned to do with her after taking her away," she whispered, crying even harder. "Please, Seto…" He threw her down to the floor, causing her to cry out in pain and leered down at her hatefully.

"You disgusting creature…how can you even call yourself human?"

"Seto," she pleaded, crawling over and gripping the hem of his kimono, "I only wanted you to love me."

"You expected to earn my love through a series of lies? How dare you…how dare you come to my manor…how dare you make Anzu look like a guilty slut…"

"Why does she even matter to you? She was just a contracted harlot!" Seto kicked her away from him and she coughed and wheezed.

"You have no right to speak of her so disgracefully."

"You…were the one who called her dirt," she gasped. "She is nothing!" He twitched and reached into his kimono, extracting a knife.

"I've had enough…" Seto threw her onto the bed and tied her arms above her head to the frame, holding the knife in his hand firmly, causing her eyes to widen. "I should kill you…but death is not severe enough. You are a selfish, greedy, vile woman who cares only for herself…I ought to take from you what you value."

"Seto…what do you think you're doing?" she cried and he held the knife over her.

"Causing you the pain you've caused me and her." She writhed desperately as the blade came closer.

"No…no please!" She screamed as he dragged the knife into the side of her face and sliced it open. He stuffed some silk in her mouth to quiet her screams as he continued to stab into her face, creating deep slits that would scar deeply, his expression hard and his eyes cold as ice. Her tears mixed with the blood as it flowed down her cheeks and stained the bed, her limbs jerking as she tried to escape.

When he was satisfied, he finally stopped and admired his work. Her face was covered in gashes and soaked with blood.

"You finally have a face that matches your heart. A fitting end for you." He wiped his knife off on the bed and glared at her. "When I return, you had better be gone. And don't you dare come back." He untied her hands and stood up, leaving her alone in her horror as she buried her bleeding face.

"K-Kaiba-san?" Shizuka whispered as he walked down the stairs and he frowned at her.

"Tell me, why exactly did you do what Minako asked of you?" Her eyes widened a bit and she felt a sick feeling crawl into the pit of her stomach.

"What do you mean?"

"Don't play naïve, I'm well aware of your little act of deceit. Why did you do it?" he asked simply and she swallowed.

"She promised to pay me enough money to get my big brother out of debt…he owes money to a man he borrowed from to buy a farm, but he can barely make enough to pay the interest. Please, Kaiba-san, I never meant to cause you harm…I just have to help my brother."

"A sob story," he snorted as she fell to her knees, bowing and trembling.

"I do not ask forgiveness, I merely ask for mercy…" Seto stared down at her and dropped a pouch next to her.

"Just go…and do not come back. You have a second chance to live your life, don't waste it." She stared at the pouch in disbelief and watched him leave without another word.

* * *

…**yeah…that's right.**

**I felt bad for portraying Shizuka as such a bitch when we already have Minako as the town bitch, so I thought I'd give you all a reason for her doing all this. I mentioned it briefly, but never went into it. Shizuka is really just a pawn, Minako is the evil mastermind.**

**Originally, I was going to have Seto kill both, but I thought this was a bit more dramatic and, actually, much more cruel. As for what became of Anzu? Well, find out in the next chapter.**

**Reviews I love, pointless hate I don't, if you take the time to write out some helpful criticism, I always appreciate it!**


	32. Hatred Corrupting Wounds

**I'm sorry guys, I didn't realize it was Monday already! I was at work and I normally don't work Mondays so it slipped my mind…DON'T KILL ME!**

**Disclaimer: Yugioh belongs to Kazuki Takahashi. I merely own any original characters and the plotline for this fanfic.**

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-Two**

_Hatred Corrupting Wounds_

"_Wake up…"_

Anzu groaned and opened her eyes slowly. Her vision was blurred and she blinked a few times before she received more clarity.

The room was fairly dark and she felt the cold wall at her back and the shackles around her wrists and ankles.

"_Seems I haven't gone anywhere…" _she thought bitterly. Her body ached from the days she'd spent against this wall. The shackles chafed the flesh of her wrists and ankles and there were a number of cuts and bruises coating her skin from the whips and rods used to lash at her every morning and every night.

Speaking of, Yoshinori stood by, dressed entirely in black with his hands behind his back.

"_Probably holding his means of torture for me today…"_

She had no idea how long she'd been trapped in that room…probably at least a week by now.

Her body was far thinner than it had ever been, her bones protruding from her ghostly skin, and her hair falling around her and caked with sweat, blood, and dirt. But at this point, she hardly cared.

All she wanted was to stay emotionless to avoid giving Yoshinori the satisfaction of knowing that he could break her. She refused to let anyone else ever break her apart again…Seto shattering her heart once was all she ever wanted to take.

"How are you this morning, Anzu?"

"_So it's morning."_

"…"

"Aww, don't be like that. After I went to all the trouble of bringing you back home. You ought to be thanking me."

"I'll thank you when I'm burning at the stake," she hissed. "I wanted no more part of you or this clan, and now I'm merely biding my time until my life comes to an end."

"You know I will not kill you. I intend on keeping you alive until you beg me to take you back. Only this time, I won't be so generous to you, girl. It's time you learned your lesson about your place in this world."

"I have no place in this world," she said icily. "I want no more part in killing people for the sake of granting you more power."

"Selfish girl!" he growled, approaching her with a precise, deadly strut as he revealed the instrument behind her back. A long, iron rod with a rounded end that was clearly almost molten hot. "Time for you to learn that the power of the Northern Clan is inescapable!"

She did not even bother trying to free herself, knowing there was no escape for her as her tore off even more of her already tattered kimono, revealing her naked waist and she braced herself, squeezing her eyes shot as the heat radiated from the metal, warning her skin of what was to come.

The hot brand wrenched a short scream from her lips as it burned her flesh mercilessly, the smell of her burning skin almost choking her as she chewed on her lip, tears forming in her eyes from the pain. She could just picture the cruel smirk forming on Yoshinori's face as he watched his wretched mark burn into her forever.

When he finally pulled it away, her skin smarted viciously and she gasped for air, sweat beading on her forehead and tears rolling down her face. Her vision was blurring and she struggled to keep herself awake, though she probably should have allowed her mind to slip into a state of unconsciousness…then again, if she did, heaven knows what Yoshinori would do to her body. She turned her head a bit to see a wicked burn of the clan's symbol on her side. The same mark that had painted the forehead of her mask when she'd been nothing more than a puppet of Yoshinori…

He chuckled and grabbed her face, forcing her to meet his eyes.

"You know…it really is a shame. You were once so beautiful, Anzu, so powerful. You were what everyone in this clan aspired to be…absolutely deadly. Now look at you…nothing but a trembling, heartbroken little whelp without a prayer. It's laughable!" She managed to muster up enough saliva to spit in his face, causing him to stumble back, roaring in disgust and she smirked at the silent victory.

Yoshinori glared at her viciously and slapped her across the face.

"You will never escape me, Anzu! Your only escape will be death, which I promise to prolong for as long as I possibly can until you are nothing. I will do this until you understand you are lower than the dirt under my boot and the dung in a horse's stable."

"I will never admit to that because I know it's not true," she said with a surprising amount of strength in her voice. "I allowed one man to break me; I have no intention of allowing it to happen again. I know I am worth more than you, Yoshinori. Even the most wretched demon wouldn't bother to piss your way." Yoshinori's eye twitched but then he suddenly laughed.

"You pathetic little girl…you're talking about Seto Kaiba, aren't you?" She furrowed her brow and he laughed more, the sound even more odious than before. "Yes, you were sold to him for his pleasure and fell in love with him, I know all about it. If I'd realized it was that easy to win your body, I'd have done so long ago."

She grimaced, feeling the bile in her stomach rise at the mere notion of him taking her as his own whore.

"That man is just as stupid as you…he was so willing to lose faith in you. Why do you suppose that is?"

"I haven't the slightest idea," she stated flatly. "I'm not even sure I care to know."

"You sure about that? Here was a man you loved and he threw you out like garbage with no explanation…wouldn't you like to know why he would do such a thing?"

"I highly doubt you would know, Yoshinori. It's just another one of your tricks." He snickered and she felt her blood run cold again but refused to show her fear.

"I already played my tricks! You and the fool, Kaiba, were the victims!"

"What do you mean by that?"

"That foolish girl, Minako, thought you were the reason why Kaiba refused to marry her. She enlisted my help in forcing him to break your contract and send you away from the manor and straight back into my clutches."

"What?" she whispered, her eyes widening. "No…that can't be, how could you do that?"

"It was simple. Minako disguised herself as you and feigned adultery with yours truly, taking care to make sure Kaiba saw it. He believes you to be nothing more than a lowly little slut now."

"You made him hate me?"

"Yes."

"You…you're despicable! You and Minako plotted something that cruel on the off chance you might get the selfish things you want?"

"Does that really surprise you? That brat, Minako, was out to get you since day one. She simply did not have the means to do it on her own, so she had me to help her, and the other girl, Shizuka."

"Shizuka was in on this too?"

"Well, she was a paid hand and merely played the part we asked her to play, but yes."

She hung her head, feeling her heart sink.

"So then…Seto only did all of that to me, said all of it because of you two?" Yoshinori crossed his arms, smirking.

"Do you hate me now?"

"I've always hated you…" she stated bitterly, clenching her fists. "And now this hatred is coursing through every fiber of my being, tearing my up inside." She met his eyes and he could see the depths were shining with the killer instinct she had from before. "I will crush your skull in my hands…I will never let you kill me before I destroy you." He threw his head back, laughing.

"And how do you intend to do that? You're trapped in here until I'm ready to watch you die, Anzu. Don't delude yourself into thinking you can find a means of escape; you never will." She narrowed her eyes and he smirked, turning and walking away. "I'll leave you to wallow in your self-pity and resentment now…but don't fret, I'll be back to pay you a visit quite soon."

She heard the door slam shut and she stared at the ground, filled with tenacity to free herself and right the wrongs Yoshinori had inflicted upon her and upon Seto.

"This isn't going to end this way…" she said. "I am going to put my fate in my hands and bring you down Yoshinori…" She raked her nails into her palm and felt the hot blood run down her arm as she looked up to the ceiling. "On my blood, I swear I will kill him!"

* * *

"Sir, are you sure about this?"

"I'm certain."

"But this is forbidden territory. Anyone caught here will be executed."

"I'm well aware. I advise you hurry and leave before you are forced to pay the price." He handed the man some money. "Thank you kindly for bringing me all this way."

The man pat his arm, nodding. "Be safe, my friend." Seto watched him climb onto the white horse and place the black hood over his spiky, tri-colored hair before riding away. He turned and walked into the forest, his swords hanging from his hips and his eyes burning with a thirst for revenge.

"Come on, Yoshinori, I'm right here…" he growled.

* * *

**Well, I wanted to make this chapter a bit longer, but I really think that was a good spot to end it on.**

**Ok guys…you probably aren't going to believe this but the next chapter…is the last one.**

**I promised to see this fanfic through until the end and, by god, I'm doing it! Thank you again for reading, reviews are always appreciated but flames are not. I shall see you for the conclusion next chapter!**


	33. It All Ends Tonight

**You know guys, I realized something. I spent almost five years with this fic, and I am sincerely grateful to all of you who stuck it out this long just to reach the ending of this fanfic. So…this is the last chapter. We have finally reached the conclusion to "Forced Along the Path of Discontent." Enjoy!**

**By the way, I'm sorry I'm three-days late. San Japan is coming up and I was slaving over gifts for voice actors and that stopped me from getting this chapter done in time. So, thank you for your patience, and here it is!**

**Disclaimer: Yugioh belongs to Kazuki Takahashi. I merely own any original characters and the plotline for this fanfic.**

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-Three**

_It All Ends Tonight_

"Yoshinori-san,"

"Yes, what is it?"

"We have the reports you requested. Our men successfully burned down the manor you requested."

"And the witnesses?"

"Dealt with accordingly."

"Excellent." He smirked. "That Minako was a fool from the beginning to think I would tell her so much without having her pay for it in the end. Thank you, Kurasuma. You are dismissed."

"Yes, my lord," he said with a bow before turning and walking out of the room. Yoshinori stroked his chin, smirking.

"Now all but one loose end has been dealt with…" He stood and left the room, striding down the corridors until he reached the door guarded by two ninja and walked inside, smirking at Anzu's limp body. "Now's hardly the time to sleep, my dear."

She raised her head slowly, breathing heavily as she glared at him.

"Come to gloat?" she asked.

"Yes, actually. I just received word that your former lover's house was burned to the ground." He chuckled and her eyes widened. "Now the man who stole everything from you is burned to ash and bone."

"That's impossible…you're still standing here," she said coldly.

"Oh, your words wound me, Anzu. Why don't you simply admit that you regret your foolish decisions and I will consider showing mercy on you?" She laughed sarcastically.

"You show mercy on me? Oh, yes, Yoshinori, that is what I desire; mercy from the monster who deprived me of my family and murdered the man I loved! You sicken me!" she snarled, narrowing her eyes. "I would rather burn for all eternity than to ever concede to your vile will."

"Keep up this irritating defiance and you will have your wish sooner than you think!" Yoshinori growled.

"Really?" she asked, feigning excitement. "How delightful!" He grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked on it hard, causing her to flinch slightly.

"I will teach you some respect, you little whelp! Not even you can keep this façade together forever. One of these days, you will break and I'll be sure to relish it."

"Unless you snap first," Anzu said, grinning cruelly. "You're impatient, Yoshinori. You'll probably lose control of yourself and murder me before you can break me."

"We'll see about that, my pet." He dropped her hair and turned, walking out of the room and slamming the door behind him.

"Yes we will, won't we…" she said, smirking.

* * *

Seto approached the house slowly and climbed up into a tree, observing the structure carefully for any exposed entrances and smirked when he saw a window slightly ajar. Someone had been careless…

He swung down and landed on the edge of the window, opening it with absolute silence that had come from his years of training as he entered the room undetected, closing the window behind him.

It was quiet in the room, but he could hear footsteps of residents moving back and forth in the hallway and looked around. He found a discarded mask on the table and smirked.

"It's almost too easy…" he said, placing it over his face as he walked out into the corridors. The clan members who passed him paid him no mind and he sauntered down the halls casually, listening for any clues as to where Anzu might be.

"Yoshinori-san won't keep her alive much longer, I'm sure."

"Why would he waste more food and time?"

"I don't know, but we shouldn't question it. If he heard us, you know what would happen."

"Suppose you're right. Still, guess he's making her the example so no one else tries it."

"Like any of us are so stupid. Women are the only ones who will go running off to fall in love, and with the enemy, no less." Seto walked behind this group as they talked, hoping they'd mention Anzu's location but they paused when thye noticed him still behind them after a while.

"What do you want?"

"Sorry, couldn't help but overhear. You're talking about Anzu Mazaki, aren't you?"

"Who else? Yoshinori has her tied up and guarded all hours of the day. Why he keeps her alive is anyone's guess."

"Probably having a bit of fun with her before killing her." They all snickered and continued walking and Seto clenching his fists before turning and walking the other way, looking out for a room with a guard in front of it.

"HEY!" He froze and turned slowly to see a clan member marching up to him. "We've been looking all over for you! It's your turn to take on guard duty for the prisoner."

"O-oh, right. Sorry, I forgot."

"That's the third time I've had to come hunt you down. If it happens again, it's your head, understand?"

"Yes."

"Come on!" Seto followed the man, breathing in and out slowly. This really was just a little bit too easy…was the Northern Clan simply stupid who pulling an excellent trap? Either way, it was too late to back out now.

He was brought to a door where another member was standing and he raised his mask.

"About time! I'm starved."

"You will stand guard for the next four hours. Do not leave your post, understand?"

"Yes."

"Good!" The two clan members took off and Seto looked around, waiting until he was certain the halls were completely empty before opening the door behind him slowly. He saw Anzu, hanging against the wall and she looked up slowly.

"Is it time for my next beating already?" she asked.

"Actually…" Seto pulled out his sword and slashed through her binds. "I believe it's time to escape." Her eyes widened as he took off his mask.

"Seto?! You're alive?"

"I believe that's my line. Now, we have to hurry before-" The door closed and he spun to see Yoshinori approaching them with a smirk.

"Before I catch you? Honestly, Kaiba, if you believe you can slip into my home undetected, you are even more foolish than I thought."

"Hmph. If you think you're walking out of this room alive, Yoshinori, you are even more foolish than I thought."

"Ah, trying to intimidate me, are you? Well, I'm afraid that won't work. You see…Anzu needs to be taught a lesson. And that fact that you evaded death really irritates me, Kaiba-san." Yoshinori pulled out a pair of twin sword and cracked his neck.

"Seto, be careful," Anzu said.

"Warning him won't help him, Anzu." Yoshinori moved and was able to cut Seto's arm, causing him to growl as Yoshinori smirked. "I certainly haven't lost my touch, so let's see what you've got, Kaiba."

"Heh, you asked for it." He gripped his sword and they ran at each other, swords clanging as they struck at each other mercilessly, looking to find a way to put an end to each other. Anzu looked around for anything she could use to help Seto, but the room was empty and they were blocking the door.

The two men battled viciously until Yoshinori was on the ground. Seto kicked his swords away and smirked.

"It looks like I've won…"

"I don't think so!" Yoshinori knocked Seto down and grabbed one of his swords, pressing it against Seto's neck. "It looks like I've won…and I get to kill you in front of your precious Anzu, how charming. Any last words?"

"No, but you may want to say yours," Seto said, smirking. Yoshinori opened his mouth to say something and gasped as he felt a blade. He fell over and Anzu glared down, kicking his body.

"I swore I'd kill you, Yoshinori. My blood vow is complete." Seto stood up slowly and Anzu turned to look at him, her mind swirling with a myriad of emotions. He met her eyes and she inwardly cringed at the familiar wave of warmth that pooled in her stomach whenever she saw him.

"Are you alright?" he rasped and she shrugged slowly.

"I'll survive if that's what you mean." He nodded a bit.

"I'm…I'm sorry, Anzu. For what I said, for what I did…if I could take it all back, I would." She blinked a bit and he ran a hand through his hair. "I shouldn't have fallen for those tricks so easily…I should have known better, but I didn't and I did inhuman things to you."

"No worse than what I've been through before," she said with a wry smile. "And let's be honest here, Yoshinori took the cake for inhumanity." He bowed his head to her.

"I know you would never forgive Yoshinori…but are you able to find it in your heart to forgive me for all I've done to wrong you?" She stared before slowly reaching out to wrap her arms around him.

"Unlike Yoshinori…the good things you've done and the happiness you've given me outweighs the bad. Scars don't heal, but they fade with time. I'll forgive you." He wrapped his arms around her, pressing his lips to the top of her head.

"I hate to disturb such a happy reunion but…"

They both jumped up in time to see five ninja surrounding them, swords at the ready.

"You two are responsible for the death of Yoshinori, so I'm afraid you must pay for it with your lives."

"You fools, don't you get it?! Without Yoshinori, you can leave the clan; have a chance at a real life! Why kill us when there are better things out there? We can stop all of it!"

"Tch, leave it to a woman to spout such nonsensical drivel."

"I believe spending time with this one made her soft…perhaps we ought to kill him first." Three of them lunged and grabbed Seto while two held Anzu back, despite her struggle against them.

"SETO!" He grunted and snarled as he tried to fight them off, but even he couldn't fend off three men without a weapon.

"Tie him up!" One of them extracted some rope and tied up Seto's limbs quickly until he could barely move and Anzu continued to try and fight off the two men holding her. The head ninja strode slowly, menacingly, like a predator. He smirked at Anzu with an ugly hatred burning in his eyes.

"You know…you always did inspire me, Anzu. I doubt you remember when I was recruited, but I was trained by you. You brought me on that mission to kill that traitor who fled to clan and tried to hide in the church. I remember how glorious you were…so deadly, so powerful." He grabbed her chin and forced her to look up into his eyes, smirking cruelly. "I'll admit, I called it love at first size when I was younger…but now I see it was envy at your ruthless abilities to take lives and bathe in blood while still coming out looking clean.

"I devoted myself to vigorous training…and when you were exiled, Yoshinori bestowed me with the honor of taking your rank. So to be able to destroy everything for you will be immensely sweet."

"You're sick!" she hissed, spitting in his face and he growled, backhanding her.

"Little bitch! Let's kill the bastard and show her what happens when you defy the Clan."

"Yes, sir." One kicked Seto to the floor and held up a sword.

"Do it!"

"NO!" They brought the blade down towards Seto's neck and Anzu felt like everything was moving in slow motion. She struggled as hard as she could, breaking free from the two ninjas holding her and stole one of their swords before lunging forward, holding the blade up and stopping the one aimed for Seto's neck.

"Get her, you idiots!" Anzu cut Seto's bonds and fought off one of the ninjas as Seto managed to steal and sword and helped her.

"Do you think we can take them out?"

"Only one way to find out," he said, smirking and lunged, slashing his sword and cutting into one of the ninja's chests, causing blood to cover the blood as he collapsed to the floor. "It certainly has been a while." She nodded.

"Definitely." She dodged the blades and thrust her sword between one man's ribs. "Two down."

"Sir, what should we do?!"

"Are you idiots? Kill them!"

"Kill us?" Seto asked, smirking. "I believe it will be the other way around."

"Avenge Yoshinori-san!" The two ninjas lunged forward, swords raised and Anzu leapt out of the way.

"Reckless. Thoughtless. Predictable. Just like your predecessor."

"We'll see about that!" He moved forward and stuck at Anzu and she blocked his sword with hers, leaping back as he ran at her again, striking at her manically as she dodged with ease, reading his lack of control and using it to her advantage.

"This is how you've trained yourself? I'm insulted that someone with such a lack of restraint would take up my mantle." She knocked him back to the ground and loomed over him. "You want to be like me? You should have trained your mind as well as your body. Your focus is on brute force and frontal assaults, not on cunning and taking your opponent down by exploiting their weaknesses."

"You have some nerve lecturing me!"

"And you have some nerve trying to kill me. It's your turn to die now," she said, raising her sword and he smirked.

"I don't think so." Anzu flinched and rolled out of the way of another ninja and cursed under her breath.

"Damn it!"

Seto killed another one and looked over in her direction.

"How many more are there?"

"However many in this house wish revenge for Yoshinori's sake." She flipped back as another leapt down and growled. "Seto, we need to find a way out!"

"You think I don't know that? I'm open to suggestions!" he said, fighting off another man who moved in to attack. Anzu flipped off the wall, causing two men to ran into it and stabbed them from behind.

Blood stained the floor as they took out the ninjas one-by-one until they were back-to-back in the center of the room, surrounded by the last wave of men with swords at the ready.

"You both have fought well, but the time has come for you to meet your maker."

"Still have some fight left in you?" Seto panted.

"I'll be honest…not very much. But this can't be the end for us."

"Agreed." The circle moved in closer and they each gripped their swords tightly.

"One last stand…let's both make it out of this alive." Seto nodded.

"ATTACK!"

Anzu closed her eyes for a moment, sensing the movement of the people around her. She opened them slowly and could see everything moving in a blur, but picking up all the details that mattered before she moved.

The assassin within her moved like a demon, cutting down all that stood in her path and threatened the future she was desperately trying to find.

She could see it…the end of the war between the clans and peace in Japan at long last!

Leaping up, she leered down at him. He may as well be Yoshinori to her, for he reeked of the same bloodlust, greed, and malevolence.

Her sword was up and she brought it down on his neck, watching the corpse hit the floor without any emotion on her face. And then she realized it was silent as she panted a bit, trying to catch her breath.

"It's finally over…" Seto said, throwing his bloody sword on top of a body and Anzu nodded.

"Yes." She turned around and fell into his arms, breathing out in relief. "It's done, Seto." He stroked her hair slowly, resting his head on top of hers.

They were quiet for a moment; taking in the reality of what had just happened and savoring the feeling of being together again without the miseries of their pasts to hold them back any longer.

Seto opened his eyes slowly and was about to speak when he sensed something.

"Anzu!" He pushed her away from him and, before he could move, grunted loudly in pain and looked down, seeing the sword he'd discarded thrust through his chest before looking up at Anzu, her eyes widened with terror. "An-"

The blade was retracted and he fell to the ground as Yoshinori smirked.

"You…"

"Did you honestly think I'd let you kill me so easily?" he asked, chuckling coldly. "I said I'd destroy him first then destroy you. Your wish for a happy future will never come true, Anzu, so just accept that you're going to die now. You've lost everything, and now you will die with absolutely nothing."

Her shoulders heaved as she tried to breathe, a terrible tightness in her chest and her fists clenched and her body trembled from a rage she never imagined she could feel.

Yoshinori strode towards her slowly, smirking at her catatonic state.

"Time to end this, my little apricot."

"_He killed him…he KILLED him…"_

The sword was raised and her eyes darted up as he brought it down.

"Wha-?" Anzu held the sword back, ignoring the blood running down her arm as the blade dug into her palm and she moved her head slowly, like she was possessed, her eyes filled with nothing but hatred. "Y-you…" Yoshinori snarled and pulled the sword back, raising it again and she caught it with the other hand, causing his eyes to widen. "How are you doing this, Anzu?! You should not have the strength anymore!"

"You will die learning never to underestimate my strength…" she said lowly, wrenching the sword from his hand and throwing it aside before lunging forward, catching his throat as she forced him to the ground. "Now die…DIE!" she screamed, digging her fingers into his flesh, crushing the bones as he gagged and thrashed, his eyes rolling back in his skull as his flesh turned purple and blue.

Finally, his limbs went limp and she dropped him, the rage dissipating and leaving her feeling hollow.

"A…Anzu…" Her eyes widened and she ran over to Seto, his breath a short wheeze and his skin feeling cold.

"Seto," she said softly, gathering him in her arms. He opened his eyes slowly and she could see the pain in them but also see his peace.

"This…this isn't the end for us, Anzu." He reached up and cupped the side of her face shakily, running his thumb against her cheek. "Even if we can't…be together in this life, we can meet each other again in another." She nodded slowly, lacing her fingers with his as tears welled up in her eyes.

"I don't want to lose you, Seto!"

"You won't…please promise me this, Anzu…promise me that you'll live and find happiness."

"Alright…" she whispered, tears running down her face and he smiled weakly.

"I love you."

"I love you too, Seto," she said, leaning down and pressing her lips against his. After a few seconds, she felt his body go limp in her hands and hugged him to her, crying into his shoulder as she stroked his hair, rocking back and forth.

When she had no more tears to cry, she carefully pulled his body outside and dug a hole under the cherry blossom tree before carefully lowering him into it. She found some early wildflowers and placed them on his chest before covering the hold again, patting down the soil and finding some wood to create a small grave.

Falling to her knees, she closed her eyes and prayed for his soul and for them to find each other again somewhere in the future before standing up and walking away, the hollow feeling still there.

But she had a newfound resolve to live…to find her place in this world and experience some glimmer of happiness again, despite all the pain and suffering she'd been through.

She found her way to the village and made a home with Chiasa, Akiko, and Shoji, who adopted her as their daughter. The house of the clan was burned to the ground, officially marking the end of the war as the southern clan disbanded.

Anzu never married, never fell in love again, but adopted a homeless boy on the streets and named him Mokuba, caring for him as her own son. The boy reminded her of the love she lost, but also gave her a new type of love that filled the gaping hole in her heart.

Years passed and the scars began to fade as life marched forward.

"Mamma!" Anzu looked up from her book to see Mokuba running towards her with some flowers. "For you, mamma!"

"Thank you, Mokuba, they're beautiful."

"Mamma, are you going to the cherry blossom tree today?"

"Yes, later. Would you like to come with me?" He nodded and she smiled a little. That evening, they walked to the forest together to the large, blooming, cherry blossom tree with the wood sticking out of the ground engraved with writing. Anzu set down some flowers and lit two candles, closing her eyes in prayer.

When she was done, Mokuba set a daisy on top of the soil.

"Mamma, did you love this person?"

"Yes, Mokuba, more than I ever loved anyone else before." She smiled sadly. "But he was taken away from me many years ago. However, he is the reason I'm still alive today."

"Really?" She nodded.

"Yes."

"Well…then I like him too." She chuckled and Mokuba held her hand.

"I think you would have gotten along with him if he were still alive."

"Well, maybe I will meet him someday."

"Maybe you will." They both walked back towards the village together, Mokuba skipping a little with each step he took and Anzu smiled at him. Maybe they both would…

_The End_

* * *

… **-shrinks back- Well…did you really think this kind of story was meant to have a happy, romantic en- -RUNS- HERE'S AN EPILOGUE! DON'T MURDER ME!**

* * *

_Epilogue_

_ The sounds of the city rang in her ears as she checked her watch, shifting the weight between each foot anxiously. Where was he? She sighed, lowering her arm and looking around with a small frown on her rosy mouth, clicking her tongue._

_He was 20 minutes late…_

"_I hope he and Jounouchi didn't get caught up playing some silly game again." She paced in a small circle as people continually passed her by and she bumped into a tall figure. "Oh, I'm sorry."_

_Her cerulean eyes met with a pair of cold cobalt and they stared at one another for a moment. Something about those eyes seemed familiar…but she could not seem to remember where she had seen them before._

"_You should be more careful," he said gruffly. She snapped out of her trance and bowed._

"_I apologize." He shrugged and bit and she looked back up at him, trying to decide if she knew this man or not._

"_Anzu!" She blinked and turned her head to see her friend running toward her, waving._

"_Oh, Yugi, it's about time!"_

"_Sorry," he gasped, running up to her. "Grandpa needed my help moving some boxes to the attic and it took longer than I thought."_

"_I see."_

"_Are you ready to go?"_

"_Yeah."_

"_Boyfriend?" the tall man asked, quirking a brow, causing the two to blush._

"_N-no, just my friend." He smirked a bit and continued walking._

"_Dorks." _

"_H-hey!" Anzu snapped._

"_I'll be seeing you again, Anzu," he said with a mysterious smirk before walking on and she frowned and Yugi blinked in confusion._

"_Ah, did you know that man, Anzu?"_

"_Eh? Well I…" She pursed her lips thoughtfully. "I'm not really all too sure…but I think I just might."_

* * *

**YAY! Reincarnation makes everything better! I figured I ought to at least have a more positive end note than the solid end of the fanfic, so you all get a little epilogue to make it easier. **

**It's been quite a ride, thank you again everyone who stayed with this fic for so long. I'm ashamed it took me such a long time, but I'm glad I did finally finish it. Now all of my old fanfiction projects are finally done!**

**I will see you all next fanfic, thank you again!**

**(Again, please do not flame, but I welcome any and all final comments and constructive criticism to improve my writing in the future!)**


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